Alpha Luna
by comrade1954
Summary: Bran, the leader of the North American Wolves, thought he had silenced his wolf's demands for a mate some decades ago. It isn't until he meets Piper, a sarcastic human-mercenary, that Bran learns you can't force fate. B & P- POVs
1. ūnus

**So it seems anytime i'm on an airplane I become flogged with new ideas for a story and against my own will begin to write. I am still finishing my other two stories. A lot of you may not be familiar with this series but give it a try!**

**For you lot who are willing deviate from Harry Potter... Here is a little summary of the series:**

**This story is about Bran and an O/C named Piper. Bran is the leader of the North American Werewolves. Essentially, he is the most feared wolf in America, perhaps even the world. Bran is mated to a wolf named Leah. Leah is, well...she's terrible. Leah is jealous of Bran's two sons (Sam and Charles), is power-hunger and only became Bran's mate when his wolf decided he should take one after years of mourning his Indian wife.**

**Bran is a secondary character in the series but the unhappiness between his mate and himself is obvious. A mate is ordinarily a permanent thing, but Bran isn't an ordinary wolf! I think he deserves his happy ending. So here it is...**

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><p>Bran Cornick had lived a thousand years and yet, he could never quite get used to the smell of burnt ozone, the smell of the city. Bran glanced around the rotted streets of Detroit, musing at which structures stood in the ghosts of old farm fields. The structures themselves seemed cold in comparison, as if they were decaying from the inside out. It was enough to make Bran's heart hurt. Down the sidewalk, A small child traced the outline of some graffiti. His mother tugged him along and as they neared, the boy smiled openly at Bran. He returned the expression, wondering how the child would feel to know he had just smiled into the eyes of the wild; the eyes of a werewolf.<p>

Of course, Bran wasn't just any werewolf. He was the Marrok; the most powerful wolf in North America, perhaps even the world. Most men would revel in the power, bathe themselves in it until all alphas and submissive were crowing at their feet. Of course, Bran wasn't most men. These days, being Marrok was more of a burden than a blessing. The responsibility of the title had begun to weigh on the man. At times the wolf barley recognized himself.

The fool hearted young Salish trapper who had fallen instantly and recklessly in love with an Indian beauty, seemed like a tall-tale. Calculation and scheming had eaten away any spontaneity in Bran's soul. A bone-deep tiredness had also taken root. All of the funerals and foes and lost-loves in his time made any return to that old man seem impossible. Simply put, forever was a long time.

And even with the wear of the time and burdens, Bran could not abandon his post. Being Marrok gave him access to help others. As long as he served, Bran could ensure no Alpha abused his power. It was essential for the survival of their race. And if precision was a necessary trait for that to be accomplished, so be it.

He shook away the nostalgia and worries, trying to focus on today's task. Bran hadn't come to Michigan merely to reminisce. The local Alpha, Van Bodekin, had asked for a personal meeting. It hadn't taken any craft to know that his friend was troubled. Charles had agreed the visit was necessary and Bran had left on the next flight.

The two Alphas were scheduled to meet later that night, but Bran had become restless within his dreery hotel room. He just couldn't shake the feeling of unease. In no time at all, he'd found himself walking the streets, making his way toward the company his old friend had built.

Bodekin Luxury Supplies stood like a fortress on the corner of the cold Detroit street. It was one of the first companies that manufactured specialized parts for vehicles in the 1950's. The styles and shapes and sizes of the products had changed, but the smiling face of the sandy haired CEO had remained the same.

Bran looked up at the brick building, musing how large it had become. Dozens of glass panes lined the front, trimmed in chrome. Massive lettering was cemented into the brick that lay beneath his feet. Above it, stood cement stairs and two gleaming silver railings. Perched against the railing of last stair, leaned a waif of a girl.

Bran thought the woman had much of the same frailness which once belonged to his daughter-in-law. Instinctively, he tested the air, only to find her as human. Faint traces of metal and alcohol also laced the scent. The way she leaned against the building suggested she was waiting for someone inside.

Bran started up the steps as the girl called out, "Beat it, bud."

His wolf stirred the moment she'd spoken. Something felt off. But, Bran's manors were nearly as ingrained as his instincts. "Excuse me?"

He watched as she opened and closed her left hand, flexing it. A slender pair of brass lay across her right knuckles. Her eyes stayed trained on the cement before her, making her appear uninterested. "Whatever, your selling, we're not buying."

For a moment, he'd worried the girl might be mentally deficient. A second sniff revealed faint traces of wolf on her, suggesting she worked for the company. Of course, Bran wasn't familiar with blunt-speaking girls in worn jeans and a tattered wool jacket as the standard doorman procedure.

"I'm not selling anything."

She glanced up, then. He saw faint surprise in her eyes and his wolf became even more restless. It paced in his mind as her eyes clung to his body. She mumbled, _"too bad,_" too silent for anyone with human hearing. Bran strained not to smile and the wolf preened at her approval.

"Seriously, Doogie Howser, leave."

He tensed, waiting for the wolf to assert dominance at her command. Bizarrely, it did nothing more than watch it's prey lick her chapped lips. For a moment, Bran was altogether sure the beast had gone mad, waiting to drag him down with it. Despite what he told the newly turned, the wolf and man were not one entity. The balance between the two was delicate and hierarchal. Most could control their beasts with both practice and knowledge. Some, like Charles, could even befriend their wolves. Bran was not one of them. His was just as every bit wild as it had once been as "the beast." Of course, thousands of years of practice had allowed Bran and his beast to acquaint themselves quite well. Even with such knowledge he had never experienced this restlessness toward a human. The wolf was actually displaying submission like a newly turned pup. The behavior was mad for one who'd seen so many years. Most wolfs his age were deceased- from their own doing. Insanity was likely to occur after thousands of years. It seemed his own madness was nipping at his heals.

Bran shook away the dark thoughts, trying to fight some peculiar feeling in his stomach. He didn't have time for them right now, or this intriguing girl. He stepped forward; trying to pass her and wondering what a _Doogie Howser_ was. "I don't have time for riddles."

She sighed deeply and in the next moment, the cold mouth of a handgun pressed against his temple. The wolf and man raged. _Easy, old boy_, he chanted. Bran grumbled at how unguarded he'd been, having barley noticed her move. He glanced sideways, seeing how comfortable she looked holding the weapon. She smiled back.

_She has killed before, _his beast whispered through his mind. Bran studied her, noticing the determination and fierceness of her features. _Beautiful_, the same voice whispered. He scowled, _You're a mated wolf,_ he chastised the beast . It was, after all, the wolf who had chosen Leah. The man had wanted nothing from the woman who'd borne such coldness in her eyes. The wolf didn't care of such things and the decision had been lost.

He shook away the thoughts, concentrating on the metal pressing against his temple.

This was not the first, nor the largest gun that had lay against Bran's head. He could easily disarm her with a quick twist of her neck or simply by cutting off the arm holding the gun. He calculated which option would be most effective and the wolf raged at each thought. _Will not hurt her. _The words ran throughout Bran like a fire and suddenly, he wholly believed them. No harm would come to a human who could cause such a reaction within him.

"Who are you," she demanded, "Did the Red's send you?"

The Reds also known as Redicious was a group of fanatics, advocating genocide of his kind. Some segments of the group were even starting to follow through. Three attacks had been reported in Detroit in the year past. If a human was being used as a barricade between the Reds and the Detroit pack, things were worse than he thought. Bran was starting to understand the urgency of Van's request.

The image of this girl once again shifted. Not merely a pedestrian or hired guard. She was a human of the pack. She would kill for them. Bran saw it in her eyes.

"My name is Bran Cornick…"

She snorted, "and I'm Elton John."

At times shielding his alpha status was crucial and altogether polite. Rarely, did it ever get him held at gunpoint. _Besides that one time in Salt Lake City._

"Answer the question. Why are you here."

"To meet with Van. I'm the Marrok."

One slender eyebrow raised. "You look like you should be fixing my computer and you claim you're the werewolf ruler of North America."

He shrugged and fast as lighting snatched the gun out of her grip. His arm wrapped around her from behind trying to contain her. The human elbowed him in the face, spun and kicked him directly in the gut. The kick was well-placed and had brute force. It took a few paces to catch his breath. She didn't fight like a human, but then again, Bran wasn't _really_ fighting her.

The girl kicked out again and as he blocked her, she nearly landed a blow to his jaw, his speed allowed him to jump out of range. She surged forward and Bran figured before she drew blood, he should end it. He plucked the brass out of her hand, knocked her legs out from under her and dropped her on her ass.

He was about to help her up when she reached into her boot, withdrew a knife and pressed it against his groin. Between sharp breathes, she warned, "Move and that lovely voice of yours will be considerably higher, _Squints_."

Some knowing part of himself recognized the strength of this girl; recognized that she was important. Bran knew hurting her would only hurt him in the end, just as Charles sometimes knew whether it would rain or which roads to take. However, as he starred down as the woman digging her blade into the crotch of his trousers, every Alpha instinct told him to react.

Just then, the door exploded open as the Detroit Alpha and his second took in the scene with bewildered eyes.

The girl's knife dug deeper. "Hullo, Boss." She chirped.

"BLOODY…" Van stumbled over incoherently curses. "UNHAND HIM PIPER!"

The pressure remained as the woman, in blatant disregard for the Detroit Alpha's order, reached one hand up to snatch her gun from beneath it's sheath in Bran's belt. A breath later, she shrugged, dropping her knife-arm. Bran watched her stand, flexing her left hand against her reunited gun's grip.

T.J. , Van's second, looked on the interaction with horror. His was among the wolf scents that clung to this human's jacket. Next to him, stood Van Bodekin, Alpha of Detroit. His face registered the same horror with inflections of rage mixed in. "Girl," his arms flailed as he threw one in Bran's direction. "THIS IS BRAN CORNICK…The _Marrok_!"

She looked taken aback before glancing toward him doubtfully. Her dark hair tangled around her slim neck. "_That's_ the most feared werewolf in America?"

He smiled, dryly. "I prefer Marrok-"

Van scowled, "_trrryyyy_ to show some bloody respect, Piper."

The girl still managed to look unimpressed. Bran studied her face more precisely. It was thin as he'd first spied but her frailness came more from the dark circles and gaunt lines which took up her face. Her eyes met his and Bran's wolf felt warm under the gaze. When she glanced toward his friend, the wolf actually demanded a challenge, snarling at the loss of her attention. The man managed to not make a face at how grim he felt at the wolf's rage. Something was not right.

Her eyes slid back to him and instantly, the wolf quieted. She shrugged accentuating a rip in the shoulder of her jacket. "I prefer Squints," she muttered loud enough to be head.

"_Piper_!" Van scolded.

The second's laughter bubbled up and escaped into a unconfined howl as as Van ordered Piper into the house. She managed a death glare at each of them before storming inside.

Bran followed, fighting the impulse to defend the girl. His eye's followed her jerky movements as she took the stairs two steps at a time. His muscles felt suddenly tight. The wolf was eager. She stumbled on the last step and Bran nearly surged forward to catch her just as she righted herself and continued into an open doorway.

Bran found Van and his second three rooms down in the doorway of a room which once served as a parlor. Today, it was the Alphas office. The evidence of the change was emphasized by the piles of papers and auto parts. Bran could make out a picture of a familiar dark-waif girl on the mantel inside.

"Tell her it will be something significant for such a stupid, _stupid_ thing."

The second flinched, wincing slightly.

"I there a problem, Thomas?"

"Well, it's just that…last time I said that she-"

"Yes, I quite remember her cutting down your favorite tree, as it was in my backyard…."

"Err.. right, I'll go tell to her," he left with a nod and formal greeting toward Bran.

The Alpha huffed an indignant noise before continuing into the office. Bran followed as his friend threw himself into a chair, holding his head in his hands. He could feel the tension rolling off him like waves. The wolf smelled fear and anxiety tinged with an sandlewood scent that also belonged to the Alpha.

"_She's_ going to be the death of me, Bran."

The wolf stirred. "Who is she?"

The sandy- haired Alpha shook his head in exasperation. "Her name is Piper. She works for me."

Bran doubted that a mere employee would be causing this much distress. This girl was important to him, further confirmed by another picture of her and a dark haired man on the far wall of Van's office. He hadn't smelled the scent of bonding on either Alpha nor girl but it didn't mean they weren't lovers. Bran longed for the ability to read their connection the way he used to before his mother had stripped him. Instead, he used coaxing to get his answer.

"You love her."

The man looked back toward Bran, looking startled. Like others, he would assume Bran had pulled the sentiment from his mind.

"Yes."

Again, his wolf went into a rage. Every instinct within him demanded to challenge the Alpha before him. He ached to have this man's throat in his mouth, to make him submit and feel his wrath. Bran fought the red haze, utterly surprised at this newest development. This wasn't stirrings or a preen for attention. The wolf wanted blood. Bran fought to keep a neutral reaction. He leashed his wolf and fought back the Marrok aura from spreading. There was no logical reason to be so territorial of this girl. She was neither injured nor too young to engage with Van.

So lost in though, Bran had actually missed Van's first few words.

"-like that, mind you. She's like family."

The haze receded. They weren't lovers.

"How did she come to work for you." Bran had never seen a human move as fast as her. He absently rubbed at the spot she'd landed her kick. Perhaps she could be of some use. Something satisfied the beast at that thought. It was reluctance, he was sure, to let such valuable fighter go.

"Her brother was part of my pack. A red killed him….she was there. Piper is, as you saw, a bit rough. Mac, her brother, and her grew up with some shady shit. "

Bran felt the Alpha trying to choose his words carefully.

"I've known them since they were kids, but she'd always stayed clear of our circles. It was joke between Mac and the pack, his sister's unhealthy fascination with guns… When he died, she came to us for revenge. I figured it would pass. That She'd mourn and move on; become a normal human part of the pack."

"But she didnt," Bran supplied.

Van snorted, "No...One day, she snuck into my study and held me at gunpoint, _silver_, mind you, until I agreed to let her work for me."

Bran could hear the compassion in the Alpha's voice although he aimed for mirth. Something clicked in the Marok's mind.

"So this girl is why you summoned me?"

Van huffed, "She's getting bolder. Threatening to go after the Red's herself."

He felt something coming- some bit of his senses had anticipated this moment since he'd stepped off the plane. A part of himself felt he was standing on a presipous, this decision would either tip him over or push him back.

"…I need you to take her to Aspen Creek."

Calm. Utter and complete silence took hold of the wolf. "Why is that?"

"Bran, I can feel it. If she stays, she's going to do something reckless. She's ging to die. I'm as sure of it as anything ever in my life. She needs to focus on something else." He smiles as if he doesn't believe what he's saying. "Learn to act like other 25 year olds." Bran noted her age.

"Why not just send her away. Why to Aspen?"

"Because, she wont leave the fight with the Red's unless she feels she's doing something. She's obsessed with helping and protecting us. If she's in Aspen she'll be surrounded by those like her brother. Perhaps…"

Bran could sense where the sentence ended… Perhap's she'll find alternative interests…Perhaps she'll find a mate. The wolf and man felt equally unhappy with that thought.

"You think she'd mate well with a wolf, then."

He hesitated, "Yes, and" Some flicker of hope came into his face. "I believe she'd make a good wolf herself."

His wolf liked this idea far too much. "Does she share these sentiments."

"We've discussed it. She said after we end this business with the reds she would consider it. But she's just so breakable right now…"

"You think if she goes to Aspen she will choose to change?"

Van hung his head in his hands. Bran realized this favor would cost the Alpha. He calculated the likliehood she would survive. Strong. Vicious. And already aware of the wolf life… the man agreed with his old friend. His Wolf wanted this, demanded it, puzzling Bran and yet solidifying the decision.

"I'll take her with me. But it is _her_ decision whether to change."

_Girl will_ his beast whispered.

"Thank you Old Friend..."

"Does she know this is why I've come?" It would certainty explain the gun.

The alpha snorted, "No." Van winced, "She's probably going to react..." he frowned, "poorly."

"You can handle thirty tempermental wolves, but one human worries you?"

Van chuckled knowingly, "You'll see soon enough."

Something stirred inside the Marrok as his wolf went silent once more, watching and waiting, lined in an eager alter-ness. Bran realized that since he'd met this _Piper_, his wolf had been more vocal than it had in over a century.

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><p><strong>So. I'm not sure if anyone will even read this (fine with me, since i write these for myself primarily). <strong>

**If you do, review. I love to hear what you think**


	2. duo

**Patricia Briggs owns this great series, not me.**

**This chapter was fun.**

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><p>Piper sulked most of the flight to Montana. She couldn't believe Van had ordered her into exile with a town of wolves. Of course, her mood slightly improved when she thought of the bald spot that had been shaved into Van's head whilst he slept last night. Still, his audacity at ordering her around was enough to make her seethe.<p>

After all they had been through, Van actually believed that sending her away would keep her out of trouble. Clearly, the Alpha was delusional.

Piper knew she could have ignored him. Hell, she probably would have if not for those big blues he'd turned on her. When the Alpha of Detroit is so worried he's willing to beg you to leave, chances are it's a good idea.

Occasionally, she'd steal glances at the Squint, who'd stuffed her in a private plain and flown them to snowier territory. He hadn't said much to her besides, "I think you'll like Aspen Creek."

After that, she'd made it clear to Doogie Houser…_Bran…_or Marrok or whatever, that she'd rather pass this trip in silence.

He had just chuckled.

_Chuckles_ was a little over six feet, just slightly taller than her own height. His hair was blonde and cropped so short that it barely brushed his temples. Piper couldn't help but be annoyed at the calm and calculating looks he made. Nor could she help her body's reaction to them.

Despite the attraction, she still had a hard time matching his image to that of the legendary Marrok. Wasn't that guy supposed to defeat packs with his bare hands or paws or whatever?

The closest to a throwdown this guy looked like he was getting into was a robot-battle at Comic Con. In fact, he just about as harmless as a college student. If she'd seen him on the street, she'd bet her life he wasn't much older than her. Thankfully, Piper wasn't a betting woman because the Marrok was supposedly old as freaking dirt.

Weirder, was the lack of pull she felt between them. Piper had been around strong Alphas before. Sometime she'd feel this weird intimidating attraction toward them. In fact, Van had teased her she was an Alpha groupie. To which, she replied_ it was curious how she'd never felt that pull toward him_. Piper nearly chuckled now, remembering his deep scowl.

Being that this guy was the most powerful of the powerful shouldn't she be like on him like lipstick on a tranny?

Sure, she felt a pleasant little stirring or two. I mean, the guy was blindingly attractive, if you were into that whole geek-sheik thing, but altogether Piper didn't feel that magnetism.… For a solid minute she debated whether this was all a big joke.

As they navigated the snowed road in a Humvee, the squint looked lost in thought. Piper realized she hadn't seen a road sign in quite some time, further worrying her. Memories of when Mac had gotten them lost in a forest near Marquette Michigan, flogged her. A physical ache took root in her chest, stealing away her breath. As a distraction, she broke the silence.

"Do you know where you're going?"

He smiled, "Yes, I've lived here quite some time."

Piper chuckled stiffly; _forget the pain. Focus on something else_. "I'd love to ask how old you are, but I'm worried I can't count that high."

He smiled, looking amused and the pain fled away.

"I assure you, I'm old enough to remember a time in which we didn't use numbers to count."

She was surprised he'd even said as much. Had to be at least a few hundred years old. _25 my ass_.

"Well, you look pretty good for being classmates with Aristotle, Squints." _Why did I just say that?_

He raised an eyebrow, "Why do you keep calling me that?"

Piper flexed her left hand open and closed, shrugging. She was women enough to admit she enjoyed teasing him, especially since he'd scrunch up his face each time she did so. Not many men can pull off looking hot and dumb.

"I just call 'em like I see 'em."

"I don't wear glasses."

It was true. "No, you don't. But the name still fits. The guy's harmless eye-roll only solidified the name. "Just smile and say, _'Yes, Mistress'_"

He actually chuckled at that. Piper liked the deep sound but was disappointed by his lapse into silence afterward; making her worry there was more to this Alpha-groupie thing than She had thought.

"uh. Not a man of words, are you?"

"What words would you like to hear?"

A few dirty ones came to mind at first. _Probably best not to mention those_.

" I know you're just tittering with anticipation to give me the _'you need to behave_' shpeel." As she spoke, Piper waggled a stern finger in his direction, "Let's get that over with."

He glanced at her, humor lighting up his freckled face.

"There are no rules, really. Aspen Creek is quiet. Don't start trouble and you'll be fine."

_Those sounded like rules to her…_"Where will I stay?"

"We have a motel for out-of-towners. You'll stay there for as long as you want."

"So I can leave tomorrow?"

The Squint didn't look amused this time.

"_Listen_, Van has this delusion that if I come here I'll forget all about the Reds. I think we both know that's a load of bullshit."

"There's something to be said about out of sight, out of mind."

"They killed Mac in cold blood…I don't think I'll forget seeing that" More snowed-down forest passed them by, "no matter which state I'm in."

"I understand," he replied somberly.

Another moment passed before Piper felt necessary to say something. She peeked a glance at him. "Don't worry, Squints. I won't wreck havoc on your town."

For the first time in twenty hours, the man smiled and attraction hit Piper like a kick in the gut. "Somehow," he practically cooed, "I don't believe that."

She shifted, ignoring the urge to run a finger down the arm he leaned against the center console. "Never throw toilet paper on a bear..."

He turned toward her. "What?"

It was something Mac had said. It was their thing; random nonsensicals that made other's wonder what drugs they took. Piper still remembered when Mac had said that one; how his face had lit up in excitement. She had laughed for nearly an hour afterward. A stab of emotion closed her throat. Piper fought to forget. "Never mind."

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><p>Bran pulled the humvee up to a nondescript motel, surrounded by patches of forest. He shut off the engine and turned toward her. "My son's mate, Anna, will stop by and show you around."<p>

Of course, she knew the Marrok had sons, they were just as famous as he was in werewolf circles. Still, to hear the phrase out of a twenty-something's mouth, whom she very nearly jumped, was bizarre.

"Why not you?" The words were out before she could think to stop them, _one of her many bad habits._

He frowned. "I'm Marrok. I've got things to do."

Piper managed not to roll her eyes, remembering all of Van's "important Alpha" business. The man napped as much as a toddler. "Whatever you say, Squints."

"My name is Bran, or Marrok. _Not_ Squints."

Piper smiled as he huffed out the sentence. If Van and this guy thought she'd take this moving-order lying down, then they were delusional. She'd meant what she said, no way would she wreck havoc on the town… being a good little follower was a whole 'nother matter…Piper had never been very good at taking orders.

"What about Fido then?"

He scowled deeply. "You're right. Squints is _much_ better."

After a moment, he said. "Van said you'd be trouble."

"I think his barber will agree."

He nodded cryptically and suddenly Piper remembered a horrifying piece of wolf-gossip- Bran could read thoughts! Stupidly, Piper pictured him naked and tried fiercly to banish the thought. Every possible raunchy image her brain could create flitted through her mind, and Piper mentally fought against each one: him kissing her neck, her fingers tangled in his sandy hair as he- _OKAY, STOP. I will not think of the Marrok naked. I will not think of the Marrok naked!_

Through her concentration she glanced toward Bran, who was smiling at her knowingly. Piper wasn't sure whether his smile meant he knew her impure thoughts or simply because of the shade of crimson she'd turned. Piper decided to ignore the way his red flannel, grey undershirt and frayed jeans clung to him as he jumped out of the truck. Bran wasn't a bulky man, but h still moved with purpose; with power. Absently, she wondered where all this insanity had come from, as he opened her door.

"So, home sweet home, eh?" nodding toward the run-down motel.

"For now…" He said like a promise.

Bran retrieved her bag, grabbed a key from behind an unattended desk, and headed toward room 4. As the door swung inward, Piper fought not to cringe at her new amenities. The carpet was ugly brown shag, accented by yellow lamps and a puke-green comforter. A large, quite ugly, painting of a bear hung above the bed.

"You gave me this room on purpose didn't you," she deadpanned. The room was as ugly as Detroit in March.

He shrugged, "I think it's lovely."

Piper grumbled and mentally used some very explanative swear words, suddenly fine if he read minds at that moment.

Resigned to her current fate, She trudged forward, dropping her bag somewhere near the door and throwing herself backwards onto the bed. It was a full minute of laying on the lumpy mattress before she realized Bran hadn't followed her into the room. Instead, he stared strangely at her, rooted in the doorway.

His hands were tucked in his pockets, but Piper swore she could see them bulge into fists from the shape under his jeans. Her eyes noticed a slight rip the surface beneath his top left belt loop.

Glancing back toward his face, she realized he wasn't looking as awkward anymore. Piper saw flat-out interest in his gaze, his eyes rooted to her stomach. She glanced down to find the shirt she wore had slipped up slighty, revealing a sliver of skin near her navel.

_Bran wanted her_, the thought struck her with as much grace as a Mack truck and just as suddenly, Piper felt on fire. A tight knot formed at the bottom of her stomach and she saw his nostrils flare. Smelling desire was a pesky trait werewolves were blessed with. And right now, Bran was getting a good ole whiff of her lust. His gaze met hers and Piper noticed his eyes were shades lighter and much wilder. She was just about to do something completely stupid, _like ask him to join her_, when he started, closing his eyes and efficiently dousing out the tension.

"I have to go."

With all the bravado she could muster, Piper replied, "later, _Squints._" and realized she'd practically purred the sentiment.

Bran didn't move and Piper realized how absolutely ridiculous she was being. She didn't come here to settle down with a nice wolf, _much to Van's dismay_. This was about biding time and gathering information. Seducing the Alpha of the freaking Alpha's was not on the agenda! And here she was, making goo-goo eyes at the Marrok. _THE MARROK!_

But still, there stood Bran, making those eyes at her and fitting himself nicely into her new agenda. If he stood there a moment longer, she wasn't sure she stay rooted on the bed. She took a deep breath and called out, "If I throw a stick, will you leave?"

A stupid part of her chanted _" .stay."_ just before Squints rolled his shoulders and fled without another word.

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><p><strong>Ha. not going to happen THAT easy!<strong>

**Review.**


	3. trēs

**For some reason this chapter has been glitching and got deleted. Naturally, i did not save the revised copy to my computer so I have to replace it with the first rough draft for now.**

**Sorry for the inconvenience. **

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><p>An hour later, Piper glanced around the threadbare room, still shaken from the confrontation with Bran. He had definitely wanted her, there was no question about that. Why did he leave then? She knew plenty of wolves who fraternized with humans. He did barley know her, but there was <em>something<em> about him.

She grudgingly admitted she'd been instantly attracted to the wolf, since he'd first walked up those steps. His bronze hair and friendly eyes were definitely the most welcoming thing she'd seen in a long time. She huffed into the pillow, for once cursing her self-induced abstinence. Since Mac died, Piper had lashed out both sexually and mentally. Besides secluding herself from all of her human companions, she had also started a promiscuous streak. Certain nights she'd drank so much that when she woke she'd not remembered the man lying next to her. After she'd crossed that line with T.J., Van's second and her personal friend, Piper had sworn off sex and alcohol altogether. One look at Bran, however, and her resolve turned into a puddle at her feet.

The knock sounded on the ugly orange door and Piper pulled herself from the wallowing. She peeked through the hole as merely a force of habit. The woman on the other side was a stocky blonde with a white blouse, jeans and boots. She opened the door and managed her friendliest smile, "Hey, are you Anna?"

The woman practically exploded. She pushed past Piper, knocking her back a few steps as her entire body shook. Once inside she turned and faced Piper with wild eyes.

"Hello whore."

"I'm guessing your not Anna," Piper drawled.

"No," the blonde said with a irate smirk, "I'm his mate…"

Piper seriously considered laughing at the face the other woman made. She had never seen a face turn such a shade of red. Idly, she wondered if perhaps the lady got the wrong room.

"Congratulations….who's the lucky guy?"

The blonde's fists clenched and unclenched, "The Marrok!"

Piper froze. _Squints has a mate?_ Well, Damm. All the good ones really were gay or taken. She shook herself of the thought. Of course he was taken, Piper was the only one delusional enough to think a man that powerful and that…fit hadn't already been snatched. His flee earlier made a lot more sense. A small, stupid part of herself was crushed by the revelation.

The mate had made a snarl, probably at her astonishment at that bit of news. Piper cleared her face of disappointment, aiming for false cheer, "Well, that's lovely. I would have thought Squints…" She nearly winced at the unintentional use of his nickname, "…preferred sane women who don't barge into strangers-"

She was rambling. It was a habit when she felt out of sorts. Thankfully the blonde witch stopped her by started forward, snarling. "I'll rip you apart little girl." A string of spit launched onto her face as she spoke, "Stay away from the Marrok."

Piper casually wiped her face simultaneously reaching behind her into the waistband of her jeans. Her left hand gripped the smooth butt of her gun, hidden underneath her shirt. The weapon was reassurance, Piper instantly felt centered.

"Calm Down fatal attraction, I haven't touched _Bran_." She put emphasis on his name. The bitch didn't seem to like that.

"A liar and a homewrecker!"

"First of all, whatever home you're in seems already in deep shit. And second, I'm telling the truth… Bran and I barley spoke." The look of heat in his eyes flashed in her memory, but she had been careful not to lie. If the bitch calmed down, she could use her freaky wolf nose to smell the truth.

"That's bullshit," she smashes a nearby lamp to accentuate her point, "He leaves for official pack business and brings back a whore and a spring in his fucking step…I'm not an idiot!"

Piper's grip on the gun tightened and she pulled back the hammer, hearing a satisfying click as the bullet slid into the chamber. The she-wolf must have been in too much of a tizzy to register the sound.

"The jury's still out on that." It was just too easy. Piper just couldn't resist. The wolf lunged a second after she swung the weapon around her. A blur passed and the blonde bitch froze with the gun pressed against her forehead.

"Silver," She smiled coldly. "I think it's time you leave. I'd hate to mess up that ugly face of yours."

"YOU FUCKI-"

"LEAH!..._Piper_?"

The first name exclaimed was sure and shrill, the second just as loud but lacked certainty. The blonde bitch…_Leah_, turned toward the door. Piper's eyes stayed focused, waiting for an attack. One squeeze and Squint's mate would be dead. A part of her thoroughly enjoyed the idea of a single Bran. _Dam,_ she cursed those traitorous thoughts.

The woman in the doorway, most likely the real Anna asked, "What's going on, here."

Her tone was surprising calm for the scene before her. Piper instantly liked her.

Leah looked back toward Piper and just smiled, backing out of the room. "I'm going to enjoy ripping you apart, slut." As an afterthought she added, "Stay away from Marrok, he's mine."

Piper wriggled the fingers of her right hand, still aiming the gun with her left. "Ta-ta psycho."

When the crazy-lady disappeared, she locked the gun and slid it beneath her shirt. Then, she smiled toward the whiskey-haired woman who was standing in the door. "Hullo, Anna."

Anna's face fell and she began to laugh. After a moment she choked out, "oh boy. Charles was right. You're going to be trouble."

Piper smiled at the woman. She wasn't sure what the Marrok's son knew about her, but she enjoyed the woman's laughter as the adrenaline leaked out of her joints. She fought the oncoming shakes, shrugging toward the girl. "What can I say?" She smiled, "It's a gift."


	4. quattuor

**Enjoy. Review.**

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><p>Sometime later, both women walked down the path adjacent to the single road in town. They had already spoken about their respective hometowns, their love for the city and somewhat about how they'd ended up in Aspen Creek. Anna mentioned that she was a newer addition to the town. She'd mostly glossed over the details, mumbling something about a bad alpha in Chicago and how her and Charles instantly mated. Piper wasn't too fond of mate bonds at the moment, so she didn't ask too much about Anna's Indian. After running out of small talk Anna had finally asked, "So why is Leah threatening you about Bran?"<p>

She shrugged. _Sure_, Piper may have had bad intentions about the man when he was standing in her doorway looking all mouth-watering and available. But now she knew he was off-limits, she was sure the attraction would cool. Piper wasn't stupid enough to get into that pychodrama. Besides, mate-bonds were a life-long thing. Mac had explained the finer dynamics of it. She remembered how hopeful he'd looked while talking about how the bond took place. Her chest hurt at the thought of him never meeting his mate.

"Because she's a crazy?"

Anna nodded, "She is... But something must have started the accusations."

Piper hesitated and Anna looked embarrassed, "I'm sorry. It's none of my business…" She huffed in frustration, "Living with these have-to-know-it-all men, has made me so nosy!"

Piper laughed and found herself wanting to confide in the woman. "It's fine…Leah said something about him having a change in attitude when he got back…and I guess, with me arriving it just seemed related."

Piper saw the question hanging form the edge of Anna's lips, _Is it related?_ The women didn't ask but Piper was curious of the answer herself. _Was Squints happy she was here? Was he affected by her as much as she had been by him? _

Piper shook away the thoughts and decided to change the subject. She asked Anna more information about the town and the local inhabitants. Anna told her it was a small place, where everyone knew about the wolves, mostly because everyone was related or mated to one of them. Most people lived deep within the more wooded areas, outside of town. The few local amenities included a bar called The Rusty Boar, a Sporting Goods shop, a small shopping center, post office and of course, the motel she was staying in.

"It's such a small place," Piper remarked, "Does everyone know each other?"

"Yeah, and the gossip runs as wild as the werewolves, unfortunately."

"Lovely."

The women placed a slender hand on her shoulder. "It's not so bad… And remember, you're not the _only_ newbie."

Piper felt somewhat better at the thought and returned the smile, "Thanks for doing this. I'm sure when Squints ordered you to babysit the new human, you weren't thrilled."

Anna chuckled and looked like she suddenly remembered something, "Oh, Bran didn't order me…He can't actually, I'm an Omega."

It was a blow to Piper's gut. In fact, she nearly fell over from the physical pain. That was _why_ she'd been drawn to the whiskey-haried woman. Why she had felt so comfortable. Why she felt like she used to when she was with Mac. This woman was known for making wolves and humans feel all warm and fuzzy, for making them calm, for making them confide...just as Mac had done."

"Did I say something wrong? Piper?"

Piper locked away the emotions, though the woman could probably smell her pain. "I'm sorry. I have to go." She fled but Anna caught her arm.

"Piper, I don't know what I did, but I'm sorry..."

Piper aimed to deflect, "It's not you. I just realized I left my stove running."

"Will you please come tonight? You shouldn't be alone your first night in a new town." Piper remembered the casual invite Anna had given to visit the Rusty Boar tonight. Not knowing what else to say, she agreed and fled to the safety of the ugly orange room.

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><p><strong>Review<strong>


	5. quīnque

**Review.**

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><p>Piper glanced in the mirror and tossed back the last mini bottle of Jack Daniels.<p>

She glanced into the glass, surveying her reflection. She noted her dark hair hung far past her small chest. The green military jacket she wore was frayed and hung loosely over her lanky frame. Piper also wore the same jeans with a large tear in the knee with a simple white tank. She didn't need a bra and didn't bother with dusting any makeup over her freckles. Her lashes were already thick and black without it and her green eyes stood out fine on their own. Her collar bone protruded, looking as if it wanted to escape her body.

She had always been a gangly. Being 5'10 and weighing 115 lbs would make anyone look _like a giraffe_, as Mac had lovingly called her. But the sharper angles of her cheeks and the way her thighs stood widely apart, made her wonder when she had lost so much weight. In truth, she hadn't bothered much with her appearance since Mac's death. And afterward, she had used alcohol and men to feel good; no need to _actually_ try.

It was already 9:36 p.m. and Piper felt a small nudge of buzz from the alcohol. It had only taken a few hours of sulking in her room until she'd broken down, raiding the mini-bar. After all, if she was to face a bar full of strangers she had the right to arm herself with a little intoxication.

Piper walked to the bar, listening to her combat boots squish away snow. She suddenly hoped Anna would be there. Piper had been berating herself for leaving in such a tizzy earlier. It had taken her a while, but she finally realized befriending the woman wasn't a betrayal to Mac. She wouldn't forget her brother, no matter how happy she felt with Anna.

Piper approached The Rusty Boar, hoping like hell she wasn't too early or making a mistake. Barely any noise came from inside the bar. Taking a deep breath, she threw open the heavy door, walking through with abandon. Piper had expected the small size of the room and the few locals at the bar, she _had not_ been prepared for the small spaced to be packed with dozens of bodies. A roar of people fought to speak over the ACDC song playing courtesy of the jukebox. The group standing directly in front of the door, turned to her, probably expecting a fellow townsperson. She ignored them and pushed toward the bar. Piper took a moment to glare towards the sign that read, "**Happy Birthday Taggart**."

She couldn't believe Anna had tricked her into coming to a town-wide event. She felt increasingly less bad about her rude departure earlier.

Piper downed a whiskey before sighing deeply and turning to look around. Anna stood in the opposite corner, in the arms of a large Indian man. He had to be her fortune-teller, Charles. He leaned down to murmur something in the woman's ear and Anna looked directly toward Piper.

She gave a small wave and beckoned for her to join. Piper held up the universal, _"in one minute,"_ sign and ordered another drink. As the pudgy bartender fetched her double, she turned back toward the crowd.

Entirely on their own accord, her eyes sought out a head of cropped bronze hair. Bran looked just as devastating as she remembered. His charcoal grey shirt and jeans truly made him look like a college student. Piper noticed the blonde viper stood stiffly next to him. She looked like she'd just tasted something sour.

For not the first time, she wondered how Squints had ended up with someone so entirely wrong for him. Piper cursed herself. It was a stupid thought seeing as she barely knew him. Perhaps he was just as awful as his mate. She certainly hoped so, as the shared disposition would eliminate this stupid attraction she'd developed.

A younger girl ordered a beer next to her and then openly stared. "So, you're the new stray?"

The girl was thin and had ash blonde hair. She couldn't be older than mid-twenties and the anger simmering on her face was recognizable.

Piper thought the girl reminded her of herself, "I usually go by Piper."

She snorted, "That's nice. I'm Heather" She grabbed the bottle and threw back a swig before adding, "Welcome to Hell."

"I like you," Piper chuckled, "You remind me of when I was young and stupid."

The girl at first looked pleased by the remark, until a flare of confusion crossed her face. Piper waved goodbye and left the woman standing alone at the bar. She pushed through the crowd, holding onto her drink like it was a life-raft. When Piper was close, she caught Anna's attention.

The women's face lit up. "Piper! I'm so glad you came!"

Anna grabbed the large man's arm, "This is my mate, Charles. Charles, this is…"

"Piper," he supplied with an amused smirk.

"Charles," she smirked, "been to any interesting factories lately?" It was common knowledge in the Detroit pack that when uncomfortable she made lame jokes.

Charles didn't seemed phased though, "Not yet. But I'm keeping my eye open for a golden ticket."

They all chuckled and Piper relaxed marginally. She remembered the woman's comments when they met.

"Anna tells me you foresaw that I'd cause trouble."

"Not trouble exactly just…" He searched for a word, before deciding upon, "…change."

She laughed. "Well, it's all in a days work."

Piper mused at just how much had changed in a day. She'd met Squints. Nearly seduced him. Met his psychotic mate. Befriended an Omega and ended up breaking her sobriety. _A days work, indeed._

Charles continued to study her. "She's very unhinged, you know…You could get hurt."

Piper was sure he meant Leah. She was slightly uncomfortable at a knowing look in his eye, hoping that his freaky skills didn't include mind reading.

"Well..." She aimed for innocence, "I'm much more of a let's talk about our feelings kind of girl, but she tripped and landed in front of my gun."

Both Anna and Charles chuckled.

The alcohol was making her bolder, but she wasn't sure if it was the drink or Anna that had made her feel a sudden overwhelming sense of belonging. They all chatted for a while longer, laughing as Charles told her about various quirks Anna had. Anna then proceeded to tease about Charles' cold nose and chainsaw-like snoring. The teasing went on from all sides and then the sorties about funny moments from their respective childhoods began. Piper had been having a genuinely good time until she felt a presence at her elbow.

Squints lingered there, smiling warmly at her. "Hello, Da." "Hi, Bran."

Piper dipped her head with a smile, feeling both buzzed and flushed. "Evening, Squints."

"_Squints_? I've heard you call him that before..."

Bran frowned slightly. "She seems to think I look like a student, Anna."

"No, not a student. A geek. Someone very, very dork-like," Piper said with a goofy smile. She chuckled when his eyes narrowed playfully.

Charles didn't understand the goad, "I think he means to look unassuming."

Anna's eyes lit up as she agreed with Piper, "I thought the same thing when I met him!"

The Indian chuckled at his mate as Bran rolled his eyes. When the amusement fled, Bran looked strangely at Piper before nodding toward his son and daughter-in-law.

"Charles, Anna. Can you give me a moment with Piper?"

They left, Anna looking slightly worried.

When they were alone, Piper turned toward him, as he openly stared. His pale blue eyes were too much, almost inhuman. His hair was highlighted from the blue and green christmas lights hanging on the wall above them. He looked ..._young, happy_. Piper was sure it was the alcohol which made her want to lean forward into his lips. _Mated_! she reminded her cloudy brain. _Mated to a psychopath!_

Neither of them spoke. Someone behind them laughed loudly and Piper decided tried to shake off the haze of the alcohol lust.

"Can I help you with something? I'm new to town but I'm sure I could ask around for a good divorce lawyer."

He didn't smile. "I apologize for Leah. She's not normally like that."

"I won't insult your intelligence by suggesting that you really believe what you just said."

He smiled a bit micheviously. Piper thought he looked adorable. The kind of unassuming adorable that she'd like to lick from head to-...o_kay, no more alcohol. _

A muscle in his jaw ticked. _Please don't be able to hear my thoughts. Please don't be able to hear my thoughts. _

"I told her to stay away from you."

"I'm sure that convinced her nothing happened."

"Leah will believe what she likes. The Damage is done."

"Well, Squints... if your _mate_ visits me again, expect me to return her with a few bullet holes."

She saw him choose his next words carefully, "I can't allow that either... You can't harm Leah without issuing a driect challenge."

She glanced toward the Alpha-bitch in question. She was snarling at the poor bartender across the room. Feeling drunk and bold, Piper took a step closer toward Bran.

"That bitch isn't my Alpha. And neither are _you_."

He didn't react to her proximity but she saw something shift in his eyes and he closed his fists. He practically purred, "If you live here, then I am. It's one of the rules."

"I thought you said there are no rules."

"Piper..." he said her name low and she nearly came undone at the sound. It was the first time he hadn't called her "girl." Piper didn't care for the slight pity in his eyes. "There are some rules... ones that can't be broken."

She wasn't entirely sure what they were talking about anymore.

Despite the confusion, a loud bitch-like sound of _"out of my fucking way."_ called over the music, kicking Piper back into reality. She pushed away from him and swigged the final splash of whiskey in her tumbler.

"Looks like I need another drink…." She turned and walked toward the bar, missing the heat of his body, "…or ten," She mumbled as she pushed through the crowd.

-00000-

Sometime during the night she'd started to flirt. It had been harmless at first. _Why yes, I am the new human with the shiny gun._ As time went on, Piper started seriously having fun. _Well, sure, I'd love to see your collection of animal heads sometime._

Every flirtation she participated in had a sharp bite, but unfortunately, not all of Aspen Creek locals could recognize she was playing them.

The drinks kept pouring and Piper had actually started a decent conversation with a group of young men when a large redhead had joined them. The man to her left slapped his back but continued to ask her intently, "So you're saying, you set the detroit Alpha on _fire_!"

She laughed as all the men looked astonished. "I _didn't_ mean to. We were playing with some fireworks."

The drunkest of the men mumbled something as the Red head spoke.

"Just wanted to say goodnight, lads."

The men all protested, "You can't leave yet!"

"Yea, it's _your_ party!"

She guessed this man…this wolf, was Taggart. He was fairly big. Wearing a plain shirt, a rope necklace and faded jeans. His hair swept over his forehead, a particularly interesting shade of strawberry-red.

"Happy Birthday."

He smiled a large set of teeth, "Thank you."

"Stay for one more drink," someone begged.

"Yea, the stories she tells are insane!"

Taggart agreed with a sigh. "One more."

He took the stool next to her and the conversation began easily. A round later, the men had left but Taggart remained. She found herself not sarcastically responding to everything he'd said, which was quite an accomplishment for Piper. She was fascinated as he spoke about certain locals. His story about a young woman, _"not unlike yourself,"_ he'd said, was especially interesting.

Once upon a time, the girl had shook up the sleepy town. Apparently, she had also been a stray, stealing and then totaling Bran's prized ferrari. Piper thought she'd like to meet the woman.

The man gave an easy smile, "So, why are you here alone, lass? A piece like you must have some pup chasing after you."

Piper had pointedly ignored the feeling of eyes watching her. She glanced sideways and found, through the thinning crowd, Bran whispering something in Fatal-Attraction's ear.

Ignoring him, she smiled boldy at Tag. "Are you flirting with me, sir?"

"Well," he chuckled, "it _is_ my birthday."

Piper waved a hand non-challantly. "I'm not your type. I'm not inflatable."

He laughed loudly, throwing his head back. She also laughed, not caring at being the loudest in the bar. After a moment he caught his breath and with a wicked glint, leaned forward. Piper thought he meant to kiss her, but his mouth instead went to her ear.

"I've heard I'm not yours either, dove...Not enough of a _challenge_."

As he whispered, she glanced toward the _challenge_ he'd suggested. Squints was still visible through the crowd. But this time, he was looking directly at them. He looked _pissed,_ territorial her mind whispered. Leah was no longer near him.

Piper had the urge to go to him. It was soso utterly stupid that she sucked in a breath, tipping Tag off at his guess.

"Thought so..."

She hook herself. Bran had no right be angry. _He_ was the one with a mate.

"Don't worry, i wont tell."

Piper chuckled. "I'm already visualizing the duct tape over your mouth. "

A familiar tune echoed throughout the room as the music changed.

_Aint no sunshine when she'd gone,_

_It's not warm when she's away._

Visions of young Mac in his underwear, sunglasses and a large white shirt pop into Piper's head. He's on his knees singing into a wooden spoon. Mac had loved Bill Withers. Since a young age they would take turns pretending to sing the song. A large pressure forms in her chest. Tears start to form in Piper's eyes.

_Aint no sunshine when she's gone_

Mac singing karaoke in a Clarkston Bar, he's making an idiot of himself. Piper is the first to jump on stage with him... The pressure grows, as she struggles for breath. The tears are now blurring her vision.

_and She's always gone too long_

_Anytime she goes away_

Mac is in his car, she was in the passenger side, laughing histerically. The song was on again, as loud as the stereo would allow. Mac was singing loudly and poorly. He clutches his chest as he sings. The spot he holds is the same spot the silver bullet hits. Piper can see the blood seep from under his clothing.

The ache has become unbearable as the tears stream down her face and she fights for breath. A hand tugs her off the stool and pulls her through the crowd. The last thing she saw was Charles with a hand on Bran's chest. Bran didn't look happy. A moment later, she found herself in an alley.

_Wonder if she'd gone to stay..._

Coldness hits her and the hand pushes her against a wall and commands she put her head between her legs. Piper still fights for breath.

"Breathe," the voice- _Tag_, commands.

After fighting for air, reality seeps in. The loss of breath, the visions, the pain. Piper realized she had just had a panic attack. She had been getting them sporadically since Mac's death. They had always left her frozen with fear, unable to breath for hours. Piper had been hopeful they would end with a change in location. However, it seemed, she couldn't escape her past, even in Aspen Creek.

Her vision returned showing Tag standing above her, smiling.

"Welcome back," he cooed.

Piper heard shouting from inside the bar. A moment later the door swung open, spitting out Bran. His tousled hair and colored cheeks made him looked fierce.

His gaze passed between her and Tag. "What did you do," he accused the man.

"Nothing," he emphasized with an eye roll, "She's fine."

Squints pushed the man aside and grabbed Piper's face. His pale eyes searched his own. He searched for some physical indication that something was wrong.

"Are you alright?"

Piper was shaky but nodded. "Peachy," she said.

"What happened?" he directed toward Tag.

"It was just anxiety, go back inside Bran."

A look of significance was exchanged between the two of them then, but Piper was too tired to notice.

She had begun to shake from the spent adrenaline. Her body vibrated from both shock and pain. The door to inside swung open again. Charles poked his head out. "Da, come _inside," _he directed,_ "_Leah's looking for you."

At the moment, Piper could care less about Bran's mate. All she cared was the solidness he gave her, his hands on her face, his strength. She blamed the hysteria for what she did next. Raising her own hands over his, she pleaded with her eyes for him to stay.

His lips twitched before he shook her hands off his. The disappointment and betrayal stabbed her. He frowned slightly, "Tag, take her back," before walking inside.

Tag smiled sadly at her, "Some challenges aren't worth it, dove."

She barely had the courage to ask, "did everyone see?"

"No, I made it quite convincing that you were in a hurry to get me home." Taggart grinned.

"But Bran and Charles..."

"They just know things sometimes," he shrugged, "it's their gift."

Tag walked her back to the ugly orange room. He opened the door before smiling sadly at her. With a kiss on her forehead, Tag whispered, "see you tomorrow, dove," and left her alone.


	6. sex

**Dont own the series. I hope you like this.**

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><p>Weeks passed seamlessly as Piper began a routine in Aspen Creek. She'd become quite close with both Anna and Charles in the extended time. Also, thanks to her candidness at Tag's party, she had won the admiration of Aspen Creek's male population. Even Tag, who'd acted blissfully forgetful of her panic attack, had become a constant companion. However, with her new found friends and notoriety in town, Piper had also earned a reputation.<p>

The barflies and baptists whispered as she walked by. Some deemed her Mercy Jr., in reference to the troublemaker Bran had previously took in. This especially fit with all the attention Bran seemed to pay her, so they said. Other people, simply whispered _whore _as she passed. Piper would usually flash a suggestive finger to these lucky individuals. Once, when Mrs. Locke had caught her on a very bad day, Piper may or may-not have brought out her gun.

Piper was sure the worse rumors had been started by Leah. No one else would know that Van and his wife divorced around the time she'd become a fixture in the Detroit pack. _Of course,_ Leah had lied claiming Piper was the reason, instead of the many affairs Mrs. Bodekin had participated in.

Despite the repetitional warfare occurring in the creek, Piper found herself happy. Time spent with Anna settled her. The woman reminded her of Mac more than any other wolf she'd met. And Tag's constant teasing at the Sporting Good Store, where he'd thankfully employed her, made it impossible to stay in any other emotional state beyond immaturity and bliss.

Running had also added to Piper's new found happiness. The exercise had once been her outlet. In fact, up until Mac's death, she had run every morning. It wasn't until a morning after the loss, when she'd flown into a panic attack mid-run that she'd stop. She had just been too emotionally constricted to let herself feel free in such a basic way. Plus, the extra thinking time only lead to more destructive thoughts.

For some reason, neither of these problems plagued her while in Aspen Creek. In truth, Piper wasn't even sure how it had started. One morning she had simply woken up, walked toward the woods and started jogging down a trail. The next morning, she had found herself doing the same thing.

Unfortunately, this had been how she'd found Bran's house, as the trail started right on the other side of his property. She had run the path for two weeks before even finding it out. Before that point, Piper had managed to avoid Bran Cornick, despite always feeling his eyes on her while in public.

The particular morning of the run-in, she had been so surprised to see him, she'd accused him of stalking her. He had, helpfully, pointed out the house they were in front of, was his own. Her mouth had formed that little "o" and she'd mumbled something about a lovely lawn before jogging onto the path.

Afterward, Piper had tried to run the road instead of the trail, but she found herself hating it. She longed for running wildly in the woods, specifically, on the trail next to Bran's. Piper had decided the chance of a Squints-run in was worth the risk.

Unfortunately, accepting that cost made it even more difficult to forget the yummy man. Piper had promised herself, since her panic attack, to avoid him like the plague. Bran _had_ a mate, a fact that was made painstakingly clear when he left her blubbering against the cold-brick wall. _Just so his precious she-bitch wouldn't be upset,_ Piper grumbled.

It was also unfortunate that the man who she was infatuated with happened to be her good friend's father-in-law. The idea altogether is not so kosher. Anna was always arranging group get-together, at which Bran, his pshyco and Piper would all attend. She usually just stuck to Tag's side or left early, but Anna's recent invitation made both strategies impossible.

"Letmegetthisstraight….you want me to sit down to dinner, with that crazy bitch, and break bread?"

"Yep."

"Did Charles finally share some of that Peyote?"

"Piper, i'm serious!"

" I don't care who you are," she demanded, "'m not breaking bread with Fatal Attraction at her own house, Anna."

"It's not her home…it's Brans."

"There's no way I'm going."

"Piper," she whined. "It's Thanksgiving and you promised me you'd come."

"I thought you meant at _your_ house, with you and Charles and Tag…not at frickin' Squint's!"

"It doesn't matter, you promised."

She huffed. Her friend had no doubt done this on purpose. Just as every bit scheming as that mate of hers. "Fine. But Tag better be there," Piper grumbled but with Anna's wince she was sure the woman's next words would not be "yes, of course".

"...Well-" Anna began

"Forget it, I'm not going!"

"Tag is going to his neices." Anna pointed a finger at her, ".!"

"Fine, Fine! Just put that thing away before you hurt somebody." Anna waggled her finger again before breaking into a smile.

"Don't worry. Just remember," Anna winked, "be thankful!"

Piper snorted, "yeah, i'll be thankful for the alcohol and psycho-Barbie can be thankful if she makes it through dinner without getting shot."

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><p>Piper was absolutely sure she must have gone insane. Here she was, standing on Squint's stoop with the customary <em>"i'm a stranger here's some pie"<em> dessert. She grumbled, thinking that she wasn't very thankful for anything at the moment. Mac wasn't here. Her best friends were three tricky wolves and the woman of this house hold would love to see her on this dinner table, roasted to a spit. _This can only end in disaster,_ Piper decided. An image of herself jumping on top of a turkey-and-stuffing-filled table, with her gun aimed at Leah's head, came easily to mind. _Yup. I'm leaving._

She was already two steps away from the door as it cracked and swung open. "_Shit_" was all she mangaged before dropping into a crouch and rubbing her fingers together, "here, kitty, kitty!" Piper pretended to search for a phantom cat and decided she had never felt more rediculous in her life.

Somone cleared their throat from the doorway. _Please be Anna or Charles. Please be Anna or Char-_

"Oh! Hulllo Bran."

Bran stood in the doorway of his stupidly-perfect house looking stupidly-perfect. She could tell he didn't buy her charade. Not caring, Piper cleared her throat and marched toward him. She shoved the cardboard container into his not-outstreched hand. "A feral cat just ran by," she chirped, "nearly took off my fingers!" Piper stepped into the house, taking off her coat.

Bran looked amused. "Do you often call out for feral cats?"

Piper couldn't stop herself from being amused at his amusement. His face really did transform when he smiled. She studied his jeans and blue button-down, the same shade as his eyes. _Dam,_ he looked good.

"trust me, I do _all_ sorts of things that aren't good for me."

Piper barely held back a wince. She hadn't meant that to sound so suggestive. Bran only glanced down to what was in his hands.

"A birthday cake?" He sounded confused.

"Nope, it's a pie in disguise."

Piper had hoped, _in the sake of the holidays,_ he wouldn't mention the cake. The store had run out of pie so she figured scraping of parts of **'Happy Birthday Mary Elizabeth'** would make it at least acceptable. It now said

**'Happy -day**

Bran smiled, as if the whole thing were some private joke. "I'll put this in the kitchen...Anna, Charles and Leah are in the den."

She nodded and stumbled further into the house. Her first impression was... _Bran_. This house was solid, practically completely made of wood. The walls were dark green with splashes of brown, for good measure. Only a few pictures lined the walls. Some of them were of places, one, of a collection of houses and another of Bran, Charles and a third smiling man. From the glint in his eyes, Piper would guess he was Samuel. She noticed he was quite attractive. Piper also noticed, _with an immature glee_, that no photos contained Leah.

She found Anna, Charles and Leah gathered on two large couches in front of a fireplace. Leah had her arms crossed and Anna and Charles sat close.

"Hello."

They turned, Anna calling out, "Hey. Happy thanksgiving!" Charles only smiled and Leah glared daggers.

"Happy thanksgiving Anna. Indian, isn't this holiday kind of offensive to you?"

He chuckled. "Good to see you to, Pips." She grimaced at his atrocious nick-name for her.

Piper turned her attention toward the blonde. She sincerely hope the woman's face wouldn't get stuck like that, _or maybe she did,_ she thought, as Bran in all his Thanksgiving-glory came to mind.

"Lovely to see you, _as always_, Leah. "

"Go Fuck youself."

"Well," Piper chuckled, "aren't we just a ray of freaking sunshine."

The blonde grumbled as she plopped down on the brown thick couch next to Anna and Charles. She remarked the couch smelled of Bran.

"Want some wine?" her friend asked.

"I'll take the whole bottle."

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><p><strong>HA. Probably some of you saw the Chapter title 'sex' and were like, YES! <strong>

**Alas, that is the latin numero 6**

**GET YOUR MIND OUT OF THE GUTTERS**


	7. septem

**If you like it, then review.**

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><p>Anna, the spoil-sport hadn't given Piper the bottle but as Dinner progressed, Piper sure as hell wished she had. Up until that point, it had been tense but everyone had been acting amicably. That is, everyone excluding <em>Leah. <em>The woman was mostly snarling one-word answers as Bran and Charles laughed about previous holidays.

One story they told, the men had actually had to hunt for their turkey. Charles had somehow fallen into a leaf-covered pit some younger village-boys made. Bran remarked with a smile how Samuel had laughed for days.

As the Marrok spoke of his sons, Leah became even more upset. In fact, Leah had quit eating sometime after the third story on this topic. Piper sensed a blow up. As did Anna, as the woman kept trying to change the subject. Every new topic seemed to relate somehow back to Samuel or Charles. Sensing his wife's distress, Charles helped.

"Isn't this your guys' anniversary, Da?" Piper felt sick. It was easy to forget, with how cold the two were, that they were still a couple. She shifted in her seat, hoping for another subject.

Bran smiled strangely at Charles for a moment. "Yes. It is."

Charles smiled back. Piper saw some malice in the look. "How long has it been..." He turned toward the blonde, "Leah?"

The woman looked suspicious at Charles. "Twenty years," she said, "tomorrow."

If at all possible, Piper grew more nauseous. She stared stupidly at her plate, on the solid wood table. Twenty years wasn't as long as it could have been, but _still,_ Bran and Leah had been together almost as long as she'd been alive. A stone dropped into her stomach and something changed. It was exactly what Piper needed to hear. She glanced at Charles and he smiled reasurredly. _He knew._

Charles nodded and backed off. His mate, however, did not. "I've never heard...How did you two meet?"

Piper watched as they both glanced at eachother. It was such a married-couple act, something ugly fluttered in her stomach. Piper pushed the plate in front of her, forward.

"I'm not sure this is the time to-"

"What, Bran." Leah snarled, "Don't want your girlfriend to hear?"

Piper had done nothing to deserve the middle of this situation. And from then on, she promised herself to leave the Alpha alone.

"Fuck you."

"Piper, stop," Anna scolded. "I Shouldn't have asked." she admonished.

She rolled her eyes, "Fine. Un-Fuck you."

The subject attempted to be changed, but everyone was too silent. Leah and Piper and Bran didn't touch their food.

Anna asked Piper whether she had gotten a hold of Van. Leah growled, "whore!" and pounded a fist on the table.

It was all getting very repetitive to Piper.

"How many times do I have to flush you, before you go away?"

The woman jumped up and wildly directed a finger at her, "You are a _whore_! And now you're here trying to take the Marrock."

Piper glanced toward Bran. He looked like he was calculating something. She figured he was going to let this play out.

"You are bat-shit crazy, Leah."

She snarled, "I heard it directly form your old pack! I asked them about you. They told me what you did!"

That peaked her interest. Did someone in the pack really think she'd split Van and Alex up? "Who?"

Small satisfaction played in her gaze. "His second."

_T.J.?_ T.J. had become a close personal friend. He knew everything about her. _How could he think that?_

"I don't believe you." Even to her own ears, it lacked conviction.

"Really?" Leah goaded, "Believe this… he told me that your recklessness and stupidity practically tore the pack apart! That in your haste to get to some stupid gun-fight, you got your brother killed!"

Her stomach dropped at that little detail. The tightness in her chest ached. She was sure the others saw the guilt on her face. Leah continued to snarl Piper's sins, "He said you whored yourself to anyone willing to buy you a drink, including him!"

Piper heard someone inhale sharply. A distant part of her, realized Bran still hadn't stopped Leah. _Well, fuck him. Fuck them all._

"-AND THEN HE TOLD ME THAT ALEX LEFT VAN BECAUSE OF YOU!"

The accusations, the lies, using Mac's name all snapped Piper's control. As she spoke, Piper looked directly at Bran, he was barely listening. "Well, congratulations. You're right."

Anna looked shocked.

"I'm reckless. I'm the reason Mac's dead..." Her voice started to raise, "...and Leah, just because you and your _MATE_ sleep in different fucking rooms, doesn't mean that everyone else can't get laid!"

Piper realized, detachedly, she was screaming now. Not caring, she looked between Bran and Leah as she snarled, "I CAN SLEEP WITH WHOMEVER I WANT TO..."

She didn't care what either of them thought of her. _They were mated twenty years._ This flirtation, this fued- it was _over_.

"VAN DIVORCED ALEX BECAUSE SHE CHEATED ON HIM, REPEADELT, YOU IMBOSILE-BITCH, I WAS THE ONLY ONE WILLING TO TELL HIM!...AND JUST SO WE'RE CLEAR, I NEVER HAD ANY INTENTIONS ON FUCKING BRAN," She glared at Leah, "BUT NOW, JUST TO PISS YOU OFF, I THINK I MIGHT!"

The bitch snarled, about to jump across the table. Piper flicked her off, before storming out of the house.

She was congratulating herself on not putting silver through the blonde when a hand grabbed her arm.

"Let go of me," she snarled.

Anna put both hands up, "I'm sorry. You need to calm down."

"I am fucking calm!"

"Piper, stop. Bran is already yelling at her. It's over."

As Anna spoke the words, Piper saw an emotion pass, It was...disapproval, she realized.

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

"It's just..." Piper saw Anna decide, she lifted her chin. "I love you, but I understand where Leah is coming from."

Stupidly, she wondered if her friend was joking. "You..._what_?"

"Piper, he's her _mate_!"

"I'm not coveting BRAN!"

Anna didn't believe her, "Piper, you two are _obvious_."

She couldn't believe this. Leah had won. She was loosing her closest friend. "You believe _her_. You think we're sneaking around."

"I just... I don't know what to think. They way he looks at you..."

"I can't help how he _looks_ at me!"

"I kow, but... Piper I see you two together. You just... light up around him. If it was my mate I'd-"

"Your mate should know for himself that nothing is going on between me and Bran!"

"Charles won't tell me anything. He's doing his whole,_ 'it will all work out'_ in his _the spririts have spoken to me_ tone."

"So it's my fault that Charles isn't talking to you, about Bran's lovelife?"

"No! It wouldn't bother me. Except, well... Bran isn't some guy. He's the _Marrok_."

"You all say that like he'd a god. Bran is still just a man, Anna!"

"That's ridiculous, Bran's not just some wolf. He's the most powerful leader in the States."

"The President would disagree with-"

"PIPER! BRAN IS NOT GOING TO LEAVE LEAH FOR YOU!"

The words felt like a slap across the face. Piper was disgusted with herself that she had hoped to prove those words contrary since Leah had showed up in her room. Worse though, the person she'd felt closest to these past few weeks honestly believed she'd been having an affair. The Betrayal left her sick.

"You know what? Stay away from me."

Anna looked shocked. "What?" she asked, unbelieving.

"_You_ and your _werewolves_ and your _mates_ can all shove it. I've stayed away from Bran. And if anyone should believe me, it should be my best friend...Clearly, that isn't you."

Piper turned away and despite Anna's calls for her to stop, began to jog back to the motel.

It wasn't until a short while later, when a large pair of arms wrapped around her as she lay on the motel bed, that Piper realized she had been in a state of crying. As she sobbed, Tag held onto her tightly and whispered in to her ear, "It will be alright, dove."

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><p><strong>Happy Thanksgiving :)<strong>


	8. octō

**Enjoy.**

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><p>The morning following the disastrous holiday, Taggart merely nudged Piper awake, informed her she'd drooled all over the pillow, then handed her the phone, complaining Anna wouldn't stop calling.<p>

Piper had informed him it was none of his fucking business.

The stubborn mule refused to let _that_ slide, so, after much hedging, she called back her friend. Anna had apologized profusely, claiming she should have listened and trusted Piper. Piper agreed and forgave her, but a part of her remained hesitant.

As time went on, that part lessened as did her own secrecy about her feelings. Anna became her closest confidant. Slowly, Piper had revealed her relationship with Bran, her own feelings and even the stupidity she often experienced in his presence. Anna had said she'd understood and Piper recognized her sincerity.

Taggart, also, became a source of comfort. In fact, the two were practically inseparable. His laugh, his smile and his slight temper all made Piper _feel_ again. And since the night of his comforting, piper let herself be more emotional with Taggart than any other person she'd met. Twice more, Tag held her through a panic attack, being the only one able to calm her back to reality. Tag was also helpful at chasing off other men, namely, Bran Cornick.

Bran had tried numerous times that first week, to speak to her privately. The Alpha had not, however, expected that Tag would be glued to her side. And Tag thankfully, had a rebellious nature. Despite, the Bran's orders Tag stayed put.

In fact, it wasn't until the second week of December, that Bran managed to find a moment alone with Piper. It had been just like every other morning, Piper on her way to run the trail, when she'd spotted him leaning against an oak. He was in running gear.

"What are you doing here?"

He shrugged, "Thought I'd take up running."

She could tell Bran wasn't going to let this go. Wanting to end it, Piper did the only thing she could think of. "Listen, I'm sorry for the scene at Thanksgiving..." The apology felt thick in her mouth. She had never been very good at making amends. Besides, she wasn't sorry one bit for standing up to that bitch... "Wont happen again, or whatever."

He chuckled, "That sounds _real_ sincere."

"You want sincerity, read a letter."

Bran frowned, "I can smell your anger, Piper."

"Well, quit sniffing around me, then."

"I did come here for an apology...But not yours. I wanted to say i'm sorry."

Piper wondered how many times the Marrok had used the words. She realized she really didn't care, she was curious, how many times _Bran_ had used them.

Absently, she recited, "I don't ask for an apology because it's only tomorrow's fish-and-chip paper."

"Another quote?"

Piper huffed. "Listen, it's not necessary. Whatever weird attraction thing was between us that first night is long-past. I'm over it." _Liar,_ her mind screamed.

He only nodded and Piper decided it was as good a time as any to start running. "I'll see you later," she called, before taking onto the trail.

The wind flew across her face and hair, she closed her eyes, marveling at the speed, at the freedom, footfalls could be heard from behind her and Piper didn't need to guess who trailed. It wasn't until Deeper into the forest that she couldn't resist looking back. Bran was running a few paces beside her, smiling openly at her. Piper increased her speed.

By the end of the run, he looked calmer and had a humorous tint in his eyes. Piper was only more mad with him.

-oooooooo-

The next day, despite showing up an hour later, Bran was waiting for her. An infuriating smirk played across his thin lips. As it did, the next day, when Piper tried to run an hour earlier. The change in time did not defer Bran, as he was already waiting for _her_. She grumbled at his spooky fortune-telling skills that entire run.

It soon became a new routine of sorts. Bran would be there, waiting for her at the trailhead, no matter when she'd run. He would greet her warmly, and she would nod. They wouldn't talk, despite, Squint's best efforts. And he'd part only with a smile and a promise to do it all again the next day.

This routine lasted almost two weeks before Piper finally spoke back to him without even realizing it.

"-miss the city."

"Not really," she'd said. "I thought I would, but i love these woods."

Bran had looked extremely pleased that she'd answered him. He'd asked her further about Detroit and her newfound love of nature.

The following days they had spoke of art and music as they ran. Bran would listen to pretty much anything. But he loved classical. Piper, on the other hand, loved 90's grunge bands. They'd argued for a while before she'd declared "You're village just called. They're missing an idiot."

Bran had smiled before turning a serious look toward her. "I really am sorry you know," he said.

"It's okay. You can't help your terrible taste in music."

"No," he ran a hand through his cropped, blonde hair, "I mean about Thanksgiving. I should have stopped Leah."

"Oh," Piper turned toward him, curious, "Why didn't you?"

She was only asking out of curiosity, surely. It wasn't like she was asking because he'd hurt her. _No_, she was just merely confirming he had been backing his terrible mate..._of twenty fucking years_. Her stomach churned.

"Honestly?" She nodded, and noted how young he looked with his hair so disarrayed.

"I thought it would end...differently."

She chuckled, "I didn't figure you for a betting man."

"I'm not. I was sure..." Bran looked into her eyes and Piper scolded herself at the slight reaction she still felt for him._ Twenty years_, she reminded her traitorous libido.

"...it seems you're very _unpredictable_."

Piper smiled. _Maybe he's been miserable these past two decade...maybe_-_ Knock that off!_

"You're not the first to loose a bet on me, Squints." She glanced at her watch, "I've got to run. My shift starts soon. He walked toward his house on the hill, as Piper called out to him.

"Oh and Bran?"He turned. This wasn't really a topic she wanted to bring up, but since this honestly crap was happening, Piper figured it best to clarify. Especially, with these '_get to know you_' runs occurring each morning.

"You know I didn't _mean_ what I said, right? I'm not planning on…" _Do not blush. Do not Blush_

His face lit up into a wicked smile. "Well, Piper, we all know you only came here for my body," he said before jogging into the house.

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><p><strong>review, OR ELSE...<strong>

**ha.**


	9. novem

**I don't own the series. This chapter was quick. Next one is going to be amazing... just wait.**

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><p>Two weeks had passed since Bran's attempt at humor and with each morning they spent together, Piper felt the draw towards the man growing.<p>

It had become a constant Mantra within her head, _twenty years. twenty years. He's been mated twenty years._

But taking in how terrible his mate was, Piper found herself rationalizing the attraction she felt. At times when she'd watch his lithe muscles running ahead of her, she could even pretend he belonged to her. His pale eyes, that constantly shone with laughter, were regular companions on the trail. Piper wasn't sure why, but recently Bran had seemed more light... He was happier, she supposed. A cynical part of herself guessed he had gotten laid..._by his mate of twenty fucking years._

Piper figured Bran could feel when she'd think these thoughts, as she's pretty obviously pull away from him. Bran made the fact painfully clear on each occasion, at which he would find some reason to tease her or try out some horrid new nickname. '_Pippidty_' had been her least favorite so far.

The tactics usually worked. _Sure_, Bran was taken and sure, it was _absolutely_ stupid, but Piper couldn't resist smiling when he did. Just like she couldn't resist watching his ass as he ran ahead. Or the mischievous glint he'd occasionally adopt before challenging her to a race. So, despite being weary of the attraction growing for him, Piper was nearly helpless as they continued to spend time together.

Before, during and after their runs they found time to talk about practically everything. She had learned Bran liked the color blue, the smell of red-wood trees and, much to Piper's surprise, watching cartoons in his pajamas. Piper had certainly liked the picture that had formed from that detail. In turn, she told Bran about the scar on her lip, her love for salty foods and even her favorite poet. He had drank in the information and teased her that Robert Frost was a drunk who stole his material. She'd informed him that, _despite being around before the dinosaurs, he had no authority to give out biographies. _

He'd just chuckled at her.

In time, Bran had even opened up about his past. Something, that Piper was sure he didn't do lightly. It started when she'd asked him about his sons. She could plainly see the love and admiration on his face when he mentioned them. He'd proceeded to tell her stories about both boys. Usually, Piper used the dirt on Charles as new taunting material. As for Samuel, she hadn't met yet, but Piper already felt like she knew him.

The more stories he told, the more Piper wanted to hear. Bran became a puzzle to her; one which she was desperate to solve. A large part of her wanted to ask about Leah, but there was some unspoken rule between them that the subject was off limits. Instead, she'd asked of his Indian Maiden, that Charles spoke of often (as it was his mother).

He'd hesitated when she'd first asked and replied something about, "yes, she was quite something."

Piper hadn't been satisfied with the answer. The following day she had brought it up again. Bran had sighed, "You won't give this up, will you?"

She shook her head and he launched into the fascinating tale.

She tried to imagine _her_ blonde haired Squints, a hundred years ago, coming across a beautiful dark-skinned woman, but she couldn't manage it. Whomever Bran had been then, whoever had fallen instantly in love with the stranger, wasn't the same man standing in front of her. It was strange how absolutely sure she was of the fact.

With only a week left before Christmas, Piper met a smiling Bran at the mouth of the trail. The snow was particularly thick today and Piper hadn't stopped smiling since she'd woken up. These mornings had become her favorite time of day. Her afternoons spent working or nights spent with friends were still cherished, but the lightness she felt with Bran was unparalleled.

"You look happy," He remarked.

She stared openly at him. His eyes were also sparkling and his blonde hair was sticking up in a few different directions, as if he had been running his hand through it. The pink on his cheeks made him look innocent, which she knew was completely contrary to the truth.

_Nothing about him is innocent,_ her mind mused.

"That's because I am."

Warily, he asked, "Why? I can never predict your emotions."

Piper held back a chuckle. He had said as much before- That his spirit mojo sort of short-circuited when it came to her. Bran was used to knowing what was coming. He was used to people like chess pieces, based on knowing their reactions. His sixth sense even gave him "feelings" as he'd once described. However, none of his spooky talents worked with her. She was both too difficult too predict and too unimportant for the spirits to bother giving him warning (at least that's what she'd surmised.)

An idea sparked in her mind. "I'll tell you why…" she said as her legs readied to run. "…if you can catch me!"

Piper surged forward, knocking him backwards before taking off into the trail. She ran recklessly fast, dodging, curving and gliding over the land. Her arms pumped as she willed herself faster.

Bran must have recovered from the shock because after a moment, she heard him start to run. Being a werewolf, he easily gained on her.

However, Piper wasn't completely at a disadvantage. She knew these trails like the back of her hand. Her legs burned as she pushed herself further. Piper hadn't felt this good in years. Her eyes were watering and her nose was beginning to run from the cold. She loved this forest, loved the feeling of the wind against her face. _This is perfect, this is freedom._

Bran was nearly behind her when she'd decided to run off the path. Piper veered widely and ran across the snowy forest floor. Her pace was forced to slow some, as she doged low limbs and curved madly, surging forward without any real idea where she was going. Piper made it to a small clearing just as large arms snagged around her waist.

"Got you."

She nearly pulled them over, but caught herself just as his arms lifted her off the ground and twirled her. "_SQUINTS_!..." she squeeled as he laughed loudly.

"Put me down!"

"I win."

"Congratulations! You beat a human in a race."

He chuckled but released her. The both were breathing loudly and smiling like idiots.

"that was… fun." he sounded surprised.

"Yes," she panted, "Those of us without alien probes left up our asses are known to have that from time to time."

He shook his head, "I swear, you have the sharpest tongue I've ever heard."

"It's a gift, really."

Bran actually rolled his eyes at her. "Due to my stunning victory, you owe me an answer. Why are you so happy?"

Piper knew werewolves could smell lies. Sure, she could have said some other truth, like she'd had fun with Tag and Anna last night or her shower was particularly warm this morning; but honestly, she wasn't in the mood to lie about the happiness. The adrenaline had only increased the feeling. She decided instead to avoid the topic. Piper shrugged before dropping to the floor, feigning like she was tightening a shoe lace.

She scooped up a handful of snow and launched it directly at him before taking off again.

He laughed loudly, "You little-!" before giving chace again. Piper had only gotten a few strides this time. Again, Bran picked her off the ground and swung her body, through air.

"Aw, did I step on your poor little bitty ego?" She laughed.

This time he guided her weight back toward the forest floor. She found herself laying flat on the snow, with Bran above her. Both of them in fits of laughter, as he began to shove handfuls of the powder in her face.

"Are you going to tell me?" he managed through laughing at her squeals.

"Bran!" she howled. Just as he started shoving some down the back of her shirt she agreed, "FINE, FINE! I'LL DO IT, I'LL TELL YOU!"

He backed away from her, kneeling over her. He was smug now, "That's what I thought."

This was awkward. She took a deep breath and stared into the pale blue depths. "I'm happy because… I' m glad we're friends…I like you. I Like spending time with you…."

He smiled, such a big goofy grin she couldn't help but roll her eyes and add, "People say I've got no taste, but I like you."

Bran chuckled, "I like you too, Piper," he said, before helping her to her feet.

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><p><strong>I like this chapter because it shows them having fun.<strong>

**Bran isn't a guy who relaxes easily.**

**Review.**


	10. decem

**Review if you like. This is short. But it gets the job done.**

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><p>Anna watched as her friend buried her head in her hands. Piper's feelings towards Bran roared against her subconscious, like the waves of a raging storm. Anna's first reaction was to extend herself out, to smooth over the harsh pain. Unfortunately, that trick only worked on wolves. So instead, she sat beside Piper, listening as her fried adopted the newest belief, that Bran felt nothing in return.<p>

Anna desperately wanted to reassure her, to explain that the notion couldn't be further from the truth. Sure, she sympathized with Leah, she felt like the woman was making a poor situation even worse. But she was adult enough to realize how good Piper was for him. How happy Piper, not Leah, made Bran.

"-so stupid. It's not like he's about to change for me. I've heard the whole can't teach an old dog new tricks, and Christ, he's more like an _ancient_ dog. I'm no sadist, I'm not really even a dog perso-"

Anna mused at how good Piper was at convincing herself something. Anyone could see how much Bran had changed.

At first, Anna, nor any of the other wolves, had never seen Bran act so strange. He had always seemed a cheerful unassuming man, but since Piper came to Aspen Creek, Bran had been unrecognizable. Sure, he was still the cool calculating Alpha. He was still stronger both mentally and physically than anyone she'd ever met, but when not serving as a leader he was….almost _normal_. The rigidness had melted away from how he held himself. He smiled more, laughed louder and transformed into a man entirely more..._light_.

The person he'd been before, the one that Anna had called in her darkest days, who she'd thought already as entirely too light to be the Marrok, wasn't even a comparison to the new Bran. She remembered how his duties had dragged him down then. He had just been forced to kill his friend, Carter Wallace, and the town had turned against him.

Anna would never forget the sight of Bran sitting absolutely alone, on the front Pew for the funeral. Not even Leah had accompanied him that day.

Watching that same man whistle as he walks the streets of Aspen Creek was truly bizzare. The years were literally ebbing away from him. With everyday he spent with Piper, he became to act more like the twenty year old man he resembled. Like a man in love, Anna supplied. The thought was certainly a troubling one.

Charles had been the first to notice the change. He'd walked in on Bran humming to himself in front of a fire and immediately asked if something were wrong. The Marrok had simply said, "Well, there's certainly trouble. But there's no indication as of which kind."

Thereafter, Charles, along with most of the town had met Piper. It had been easy to assume she had taken Mercy's place in Bran's heart. Another orphaned stray, in need of Bran's rescuing. Anna could even remember Charles saying how good this would be for Bran. H_e needs a new pup, _Charles had teased.

However, with time, a few of them had realized Bran's feelings were anything but had been caught, multiple times starring at the woman in such a way that Tag had described as a leer. Leah had even let slip to her, that Marrok called out for the woman in his sleep.

It was around that time, Charles had received a sign form the spirits. "We're not to interfere," he had warned, "It will work itself out in time."

Anna was confident in Charles prediction, but she worried it would work out at the expense of her friend.

Bran not stepping in at Thanksgiving only confirmed the fact. Charles had been stunned that Bran hadn't interrupted. To not break up such a heated battle meant he held them in the same esteem. Bran saw Piper as an Alpha.

Anna, however, had only seen the hurt on her friend's face.

Piper didn't understand pack rules or behavior. Bran had hurt her that night. And Anna hadn't talked to her father-in-law for quite some time because of it.

The true transformation, however, started after Bran started running with Piper. Piper assured Anna that they only ran, but she figured much more occurred. Anna wasn't stupid enough to believe her friend was lying to her, she had already learned that lesson. She did, however, believe the runs were bonding them; strengthening a connection that had already been there.

The more time they spent running, the less Bran acted like the Marrok. His speech was even updating itself.

Yesterday, when Bran had come back from their run covered in snow, he had only shrugged. "Tripped," he supplied, before walking off with a secretive smile. And with the word, Anna had made up her mind. She wasn't going to let him crush her friend. The mate-bond was unbreakable, Leo had said so. Clearly everyone was too invested in this relationship to realize that.

"Anna?" She shook the thoughts away as she focused on her friend in front of her. She wouldn't let Piper get ruined. She was an Omega, it was her job to protect her. Instead, of disagreeing, of telling Piper that Bran, in fact, had loads of feelings for her, Anna found herself nodding.

"I agree. It's probably best if you just get a little space from him."

Piper mashed her lips together, "Dam," she sighed, "This would be an excelled time for him to become a missing person."


	11. ūndecim

Anna was right. Piper had completely blown this thing with Bran out of proportion. Saying it all out loud, turning the idea into a physical thing, had made Piper feel ridiculous.

Here she was, mooning over some _old as dirt, but infuriatingly hot _man, all because of one heated look from a hotel doorway?

Despite, the small touches or the heated looks he'd occasionally throw her way, the doorway incident was the only true insistence he'd shown desire.

Piper picked her memory, trying to remember their recent interactions. They'd run and they'd laugh and tease and sure, Bran seemed happy. However, she grumbled, Bran didn't act like the usual men who were into her. Of course, the whole psychotic mate made the situation a bit...tricky, but still, shouldn't she be able to tell?

With slight devastation, she had come to realize she should be able to tell. Bran didn't feel the same for her. And just because of her own feelings were growing daily, didn't mean Bran's were as well. Piper realized with horror that she had become some pathetic fan girl, creating some grand romance in her head.

Anna was right. It was definitely best to stay away from Squints. And, Piper realized, space would be easy to come by in the next few days. She had already ditched her morning run, in order to stay away and save the Christmas party tonight she wouldn't see Bran until she returned from Detroit.

The reminder of the party made her nauseous. The annual Rusty Boar christmas party was the regalia of the town. Anna, of course, had swindled Piper into promising to attend. Bran would definitely be there, but Piper hoped with enough alcohol she could even make herself disappear.

Besides, she remembered, Bran would be busy with entertaining his sons. Samuel should be back in town sometime today. Piper was sure the men, Anna and_ Fatal Attraction_ would all have a lovely Christmas dinner before the party. She grumbled at the cozy scene.

Of course, Anna had not been alone in the unsolicited holiday advice. Tag had also done his part, suggesting a particularly coal-worthy strategy to get her mind off Bran. He had smiled devilishly and advised she find a 'distraction'.

Piper was fairly certain he meant sex. She sighed, missing the pleasure that accompanied the word. Perhaps Tag's idea had merit. A fling may do her some good. Afterall, she recalled, it had been six months since she'd come to Aspen Creek and many months before that since she'd had some steamy fun.

She imagined herself on some large man's arm at the party tonight. Instantly, Bran's face popped into her mind and she curiously tried to imagine his reaction. Piper expected Bran would be happy to see her accompanied, even relieved.

Squints _was_ the Marrok, after-all. He had to be somewhat aware of her embarrassing reactions toward him. Piper grumbled at his stupid all-knowing habbit. Clearly, he was too much a gentlemen or too embarrassed to bring up the subject.

Piper groaned loudly, laying her hands in her head, wishing she could skip the event. She'd much rather hide in her room and leave at the crack of dawn for Detroit. At least Van would be happy to see her. When Piper had called him, she'd been practically ready to beg to come visit. Begging proved unnecessary as Van invited her to stay until New Years excitedly.

Even the promise of violence against T.J. didn't make her feel better.

Possible scenario's about how to least embarrass herself at the party tonight flitted through her mind. Eventually, she became so stressed, her control snapped. Her fingers opened and closed, her arm shook she slightly. Her resolve dissolved as she allowed herself to do something she'd longed to the past month.

Throwing open the ugly door, she started jogging behind the motel, into a light patch of trees.

The gun was cold in her palm. Again, her left hand flexed. _Shit_, she missed shooting. Bran had annoyingly lectured her how dangerous target practice was with so many wolves around. Bran had also, she decided, come to trust her over the past few months. Piper wasn't a rookie, she knew how to find a good spot. Besides, she grumbled, Piper wasn't Bran's puppet.

Her arms lifted, sighting the gun. The weight in her hand was reassuring, empowering. Memories flitted back, previous ghosts of shots vibrated her arms. She squeezed and rode the kickback. A burnt smell of reassurance lit the air as a tree 50 yards away splintered.

She breathed in the smell. She would never wait this long to shoot again.

A good shot can save your life, a voice whispered through her mind. On their own accord, images came through her subconsious. Mac's blood soaking through his pristine white shirt, some stupid dress she wore, ripping as she lunged for one of them.

The screams of Happy New Year sounded from rooftops and buildings all around them. It fills the city and leaves a whisper as Mac's life leaves her eyes.

She reached for her gun, only to remember she didn't carry it. No room in this dress, she had joked with her brother. The blood colored the white sidewalk as the men's steps run away.

Piper pulled herself back, the gun in her hands, shaking violently. To steady herself, she squeezed off two rounds, then three more.

The chamber clicked empty just as a nearby twig snapped. Spinning with her empty gun aimed, Piper tried to calm her nerves.

A solid man, built of muscle and sharp lines stood before her. His eyes were lighter than his dirt-brown hair. A confident smile lined his features.

"You know," he drawled, "the Marrok doesn't allow shooting in this area."

Piper scowled. Why did everyone call him Marrok? Piper honestly didn't care for the title. Bran was just Bran, just a man. People spoke of the Marrok with he awe invoked of God.

"The Marrok has other things to worry about than my illicit shooting."

He nodded, causing Piper to take a closer look. His eyes were set deeply and his long nose made his face too sharp to be beautiful. Still, there was something about him, something familiar.

She nodded toward him, "Move on. I only look interested."

The man chuckled, the smile not touching his eyes.

"For the safety of my fellow wolves, I think I better stay."

She made a large-eyed, shocked face. "WEREWOLVES! Where?"

He grinned, "You're funny."

"I'm also trained. I'm not going to shoot anyone," Leah's snarling face came to mind, "accidentally, at least."

The man continued to stand there, with an infuriating smirk. Piper sighed deeply, considering she was out of bullets, she supposed this therapy session was over.

She saluted him, "At ease, soldier, I'm leaving." Piper began to walk away only for the man to jog next to her.

"You're new," he said, "What's your name."

"Not interested," she kept walking.

He smiled, sticking out a hand, "Nice to meet you, _Not Interested_, I'm Samuel."

Piper faltered, coming to a stop. She was an idiot, now wonder this man looked familiar. Standing before her, in all his holiday glory, was Samuel. He smiled at the recognition she undoubtably showed at his name.

"So you've heard of me," he drawled, "That's not very fair seeing as I've never heard of you."

A spark ran through her belly. He was grinning like an idiot at her, making direct eye-contact, slightly teasing. Was Samuel actually, _flirting_ with her? Hmm.

She extended a hand, awkwardly. "I'm Piper."

He held onto her hand, tugging her closer. "Do you have a last name, Piper?"

"Nope, just one word. Like Madona"

He laughed and this time it touched his eyes. "I wonder why Da hasn't mentioned you?"

A small, stupid disappointment stabbed her stomach. Bran hadn't even bothered to mention her to his son. She pushed away the embarrassment. _God, she was being pathetic._

"Dont know. Don't care." she lied. "If it makes you feel better, he won't tell me much about you, either."

Piper saw the surprise in his eyes. She managed to hold back a wince at the statement. She had practically just admitted how close her and Bran were as well as her own desire to know him better. _Stupidly , stupidly, pathetic._

Samuel smiled slyly, "I guess Da had left _a lot_ out in our recent chats."

She met his gaze, surprised his eyes matched Bran's. They were light, mezmorizing. She shook herself from their hold. This was Bran's _son_!

"Maybe if you came around more often, you would know more."

"I've been off trying to figure some things out."

Piper snorted. She knew where Samuel had been: Off living with the famous Mercy. "A hard-on does not count as personal growth."

His thin eyebrows rose. "You know, you remind me of someone…" he let the sentence trail as he took a step closer.

Piper's hand was still in his own, she fought the compulsion of his pale eyes. Samuel was very close to her now; she smelled an earthy musk coming from his large, warm body. It would be so easy to lean in, to curl up to him. _An easy distraction_ her mind whispered.

She leaned lightly toward him, not sure how things had progressed so quickly. Samuel was definitely attractive, in that strong unconventional way. Piper felt that same pull, that attraction, she sometimes did with Alphas. Something wild inside her called out to him. She was very tempted to kiss him.

However, if her problems with Leah had taught her anything, it was think first, follow your libido later. She wouldn't make the same mistake twice, with the first mistake's son nonetheless.

Samuel belonged to Mercy and just because she reminded her of his woman, did not make it alright to kiss him.

Despite her resolve, she played along a moment further, leaning into him. When her lips were only a breath away, her hand pressed flatly against his chest.

All at once, she whispered, "I'm not your Mercy," before shoving him back out of whatever delusion he was in.

He stumbled and looked dumbstruck a moment, before laughing. "Clearly not," he rubbed where she'd pushed him, "that would have worked on her."

She snorted at Samuel's arrogance before walking away. She was almost in her room, when Samuel called out from a distance behind her.

"Are you going to the party tonight?"

Piper turned, smiling, before disappearing behind the ugly orange door.


	12. duodecim

**Review.**

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><p>The Rusty Boar looked like Christmas had just thrown up in it. The room glowed from vintage Christmas lights, Garland and bad Christmas music. Taking Tag's advice, Piper had actually dressed nicely tonight. She wore a plunging black blouse, which outlined her small chest and charcoal skinny jeans. Her dark hair was straightened. It hung passed her waist and looked glossy. Piper had even dusted some blush and mascara on for the occasion.<p>

Apparently, the transformation was quite surprising as multiple people throughout the bar were starring stupidly at her. Piper pushed through the crowd, seeking out a head of Red hair that stood above the rest. She spotted him leaning against the jukebox, smiling smugly at something Robert was saying.

She came up behind him, tapping his shoulder and having the pleasure of watching shock and admiration cross his face.

"Here I am!" she teased, spreading her arms wide, "Now what are your other two wishes?"

"Dam!" He picked her up in his arms and she couldn't help but laugh. "You look great." Tag whispered in her ear.

He set her down, giving her the chance to see his own dapper attire. Piper chuckled, "Honestly Tag, shorts?... in December?"

Tag shrugged.

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><p>Sometime later Piper found Anna and Charles near the bar. They were whispering in that disgustingly adorable way they tended to do. Piper was going to ignore them, until she saw the Indian's hand drop to Anna's ass and squeeze lightly.<p>

Laughing, she called out,"It's sick the way you people keep having sex without me."

Anna startled, spinning around looking like a child caught doing something wrong. Charles looked smug. Piper nearly startled herself seeing Samuel standing just beyond them, looking spectacular in a white shirt.

"Piper, you look amazing!" Anna hugged her. She squeezed her back,"you too, Anna."

The Indian nodded, "you look nice."

"Oh, Charlie, let's drop this charade and admit you're in love with me…" she grabbed Anna around the waist, "we don't mind sharing."

Samuel was laughing now.

Anna ignored her comment, instead introducing her to Samuel.

"We've met," Piper replied. The Indian and his mate shared a look.

Samuel smiled, "Yes, Piper managed to wound my ego quite badly today."

She chuckled, " If I hurt your feelings in any way, I want to know from the bottom of my heart, that I don't care."

Anna and Charles still didn't understand but their slight shake of head, seemed to say they'd rather not know.

Something shoved Piper hard from behind. Not prepared to loose her balance she stumbled forward, jostling her drink, in the process. As Samuel steadied her, she winced at the brown stain coloring his shirt.

Turning to see, what caused her pour half of her drink on him, she found Leah. "And which dwarf are you?"

The blonde sneered, "I see you're really looking the part of a whore tonight, Piper… too bad it wont work."

"Leah, run away before I shoot you."

Leah smiled nastily. Piper felt uneasy at the blonde's taunting gaze. When Leah tossed her blonde hair behind her shoulder, Piper understood. It felt like a punch to the gut. There, on the thickly corded neck of the female Alpha, was a hickey.

_Don't let 'em see you're hurt, kid._ The words of her once step father whispered along her subconscious.

She fought to control her beating hart. "You really should be careful with your curling iron. Someone may get the impression you're actually getting laid."

"Piper…" Anna's voice was soft and she knew the friend must have smelled the pain coming from her. _Dam fucking werewolf noses._

"I don't need to pretend little girl, or play dress up like you. My mate fucks me often...Sleeping in the same room isn't necessary for it to happen."

Betrayal: the emotion overwhelmed her, choking away some hope she'd stupidly held onto. She felt like an idiot. Worse, everyone around her could smell the anger, the pain.

Piper lifted her glass, nearly knocking the blonde in the face. "Well, here's to you getting laid. It was bound to happen sometime within this decade."

She threw back the drink and turned to a weary Samuel. Piper grabbed his hand saying, "Let's clean you up," and tugged him into the bathroom.

The click of the lock brought the realization she had just enclosed herself and Samuel in a tight, very private space. _Who gives a shit._ "Un-tuck your shirt."

He did and she set to eliminating the brown stain, like she wished she could eliminate her hurt, or Leah. Using her hands cleared her head. By the time Samuel said, "What was that about?" Piper could answer in her normal voice.

"Leah's just a bit delusional s'all."

Samuel frowned. "Da's not here yet. He'll want to know she's acting up."

Piper had purposely not looked for Bran in the crowd. Even when Leah confronted her, she'd expected her was there somewhere, letting it "play out." His tardiness made sense, _he was probably showering._ The thought made her sick. She took the glass Samuel held and threw back the liquid.

His frown grew to concern. "Are you okay?"

The stain was gone, mostly. Without realizing what she was doing, she started to tuck the shirt back into his trousers. He caught her hands.

Piper chuckled, "Well, I didn't plan for my hands would be down your pants this quickly."

He looked smug. "But you did plan for it?"

_Dam his blue eyes that look exactly like Bran's. _

"We should get back. I'm sure the gossip is bad enough."

"We should really give them something to talk about…" He leaned forward but she stopped him by tugging his hand, twisting the knob. Piper pushed open the door, "Common loverboy let's-"

Bran stood directly in front of them. His face was absolutely emotionless. His shoulders were tense as his eyes took in the scene before him. Piper watched his eyes travel from her, then to Samuel and the bathroom they had just been in, to come to a rest on their entwined hands.

Piper felt irrationally guilty, dropping her gaze momentarily. She wanted to smile at him, to go and wrap herself up in him, to kiss him. That is, until she spotted a small bite-mark on his neck. The crescent shape sat on his neck like a badge.

As opposed to the dismay she'd felt at Leah's love-mark, Piper felt overwhelming anger and blissful-numbness.

In a flat tone, she nodded, "You have something on your neck," before dropping Samuel's hand and walking to the bar.


	13. trēdecim

**Well, I just made a cross country trip so needless to say i got some work on these stories done, [and started a new one (O'man, not another one!)] Seriously, i need to stop taking trips because these ideas for stories are wiggling into my brain and forcing me to write them! **

**Anyway, I'm so excited by the great response i am getting from this story. Here are a few chapters coming at you. I hope you like them and review!**

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><p>Samuel watched the willowy woman walk toward the bar and order two drinks from Pat. She made a point to wiggle her hips as she leaned over the bar and Samuel instantly intended to drink one of those with her.<p>

He glanced at his da, who was also eyeing up Piper at the bar. Samuel couldn't identify the emotion playing across Bran's face. Samuel could, however, identify Leah's bite on his neck. Perhaps things were better between the two than the Marrok had let on. Last he'd heard, the Marrok's bed had been cold for quite some time.

"Glad you could make it, _you old dog_."

Bran ignored the goad. He nodded toward the bathroom, "What were you doing with Piper."

Samuel noted his Da's hostility. The whispers around town were right,_ Piper really had taken Mercy's place_. Samuel supposed he could see the similarities between the two. And Leah had hated Mercy with equal measure.

It was almost funny to see that same protectiveness on Bran's face, so many years later, in relation to another woman.

Samuel shrugged, "She spilled her drink on me."

Bran look mollified. But Samuel watched as he stole glanced toward Piper. "She's really somethin' Da… Your mate tried to lay in on her eari-"

"What happened?" Samuel was taken aback by his father's intensity.

"Nothing. Leah taunted her and Piper gave it back just as good… she got pretty upset though, for a minute."

Bran shifted his hand through his hair. It was a habit Samuel knew he used when upset or stressed. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing. I should go calm her down."

Samuel supposed Bran should. Leah was a hothead and if she said anything else, Samuel wasn't sure the night wouldn't end in blood shed. He had brushed up against Piper, while in the small confines of the bathroom and had been surprised to feel the but of the gun hidden in the small of her back. Samuel nodded toward him but was confused when Bran made his way toward the bar, toward Piper.

"Da…" Bran turned, "Leah's over _there_," he nodded to the corner where the stocky blonde stood.

Bran looked confused for a minute before nodding and changing directions.

Samuel watched the old man cross the room and grab Leah's arm. She smiled and wrapped both hands around his neck. His Da' looked confused as Leah glanced over his shoulder and then launched herself onto him. She kissed him so freverently, Samuel hoped they wouldn't go at it here. But just as quickly as the kiss began, Bran shook her off of him. Looking angrier than before. He saw Bran glance over his shoulder and say something harsh to Leah.

Samuel followed his line of sight, which ended on a pale-looking Piper, who had clearly seen the whole thing.

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><p>Piper spun, sincerely wishing she hadn't seen that disgusting display of affection. She ordered another drink and as Samuel came up beside her she passed him a shot.<p>

He looked confused, "Am I missing _something_?"

Samuel wasn't dumb, he was going to find out. Piper needed a distraction, though, and he seemed to work for the night. Let him find out tomorrow. She plastered a smile on her face, "Sure, you're missing an opportunity to dance with me."

The alcohol made her bold as he grabbed her hand and led her to the floor. A surprising large number of people were dancing to "rockin around the Christmas tree."

Samuel spun her and the laugh that emitted was anything but fake. He danced poorly, like no one was watching. Piper decided it was charming and immediately joined. They were absolutely ridiculous as he spun her around the floor, often bumping into other couples. She held on tighter to him, completely putting Bran out of her mind.

When the music slowed, she made a move to leave the floor, but Samuel tugged her back to his chest. "You want to dance again?"

He chuckled, "I want to dance with you all night…"

She rolled her eyes as they began to sway, "You know, you're not _that_ smooth."

"Smooth enough to get you to dance with me."

"ha! That was all my doing!" He only smiled and she found herself leaning closer to those pale eyes. She wanted to melt into them. But stupidly, she had to remind herself those eye's weren't Squint's.

"What would your Mercy think of this smoothness you're working on me?"

Samuel chuckled, "I meant to tell you that earlier, Mercy and I are just _friends_."

"Yea, and I'm santa's elf."

"I'm serious. She's dating her big Alpha neighbor."

Piper pretended to sigh wistfully, "Well, they say it aint the size it's…._no_, it's the size."

He laughed loudly. After a moment he said, "God. You _are_ good for this town."

She snorted.

"No really, I haven't seen Da this happy in ages."

_Probably because he's getting laid_ . She didn't say it. "That's not my doing."

He pulled slightly back from her, his eyes serious, "Yes. It is…I know I'm missing _something_ about the way everyone is acting. But I can tell you shook all this up."

Piper wasn't sure if it was the serious tint to the pale blue eyes she loved, or Samuel's own humor that made her suddenly so attracted to him. Without any thought, she felt herself softening .. Those eyes were just so welcoming. They made her feel. Something she hadn't had in some time. She wasnted to disappear into them. She _loved_ them.

Stupidly, Piper lost all motor skills, as she felt herself lean forward to brush her lips against his.

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><p>Bran watched in horror as Piper leaned into his son's embrace. Her lips brushed his once before Samuel leaned forward, enveloping her in a deep kiss.<p>

He watched dumbly as the two groped each other. Leah, who was standing at his side, goaded, "how does that feel?"

It felt terrible. Like a physical blow. Like guts churning. Like he was loosing something.

Varying emotions were tearing Bran apart. He had no right to feel like he was watching his son tongue his mate. His mate was standing at his side. Bran knew he didn't have claim of Piper, knew she deserved someone much better than him. And Bran admitted that Samuel was a good man. Someone suitable for Piper.

Logically, Piper and Samuel made sense. Bran was a rational man, he could admit the idea would benifit both of them. Illogically, his jealously absolutely forbade his son from touching her. It just was not right.

It took all his strength to stay rooted to this spot. Bran's muscles tensed, his wolf wanted blood. **"THAT'S OUR _MATE_!**" the beast snarled, and Bran had never been more floored by three words.

It was true that his wolf had been restless since the moment he'd met Piper. He'd initally chalked it up to madness. Bran remembered how the wolf settled when they'd become friends. At first, he'd thought the wolf was merely acting on it's protective insticts. But the more he thought about it, the more he'd realized that the wolf wasn't quieting. The wolf was hunting and it wasn't small game his beast had been after.

The thought was altogether unheard of. Divorce was rare but occurred in mates and death was quite common. However, Bran couldn't remember a time in which the wolf had chosen two at the same time. It made no sense.

With a sideways glance, Bran looked toward Leah. In truth, he hadn't been the one to pick her for a mate. The wolf had decided he was alone long enough and found a suitable match in the woman, something Bran would never easily understand.

She hadn't always been so cruel, and in truth, it was his own fault for what had been broken between them these past years. Leah wanted a mate, someone who was her partner, someone who relied on her. Bran had never truly accepted her in such a role. The idea had driven Leah mad.

He thought of earlier, his disastrous attempt at fixing this thing between them. Bran had been dressing when Leah had came behind him and nibbled his ear, as she used to do the first year of their mating. Whether it was to prove something to himself, or just to eliminate the confusion he felt, Bran had responded. However, the session hadn't gotten barely part Leah biting him, as he kissed her own neck, before Bran began to imagine his lips on the neck of another; his lips on Piper's neck.

The image had been so shocking and arrousing that Bran had shoved away from Leah with little tact. Needless to say she was furious.

Bran thought on that. Perhaps his wolf hadn't chosen two mates. Perhaps the wolf had now narrowed on only one, because as he watched his son kiss Piper, Bran felt a white rage unlike anything before.

One thing, besides his willpower kept Bran from walking onto the floor and pulling them apart. Since first spotting Piper tonight, Bran had felt constant waves of guilt. Mate or not, she wouldn't forgive the betrayl, he saw as much in her eyes when she'd seen the mark. Piper deserved someone better than him, someone who wasn't as..._complicated_. Again, Bran shoved down the bite of anger both wolf and man felt at that thought.

Had it been any other word, had it been whispered any softer, Bran would not have heard it. But in the softest, huskiest voice he'd ever heard, Piper moaned the word. And with it, his control snapped.

"_Bran_..."

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><p>The man in her arms pulled back sharply from her and reality sunk in. She had been kissing Samuel… <em>Not Bran.<em>

"What did you just say?" Samuel looked horrified.

Piper felt the same way. The kiss had been wonderful, it had been fire, it had been everything she'd been wanting from Bran since the moment he'd walked up those concrete steps…Stupidly, in the moment, she had convinced herself that Samuel was Bran.

Piper had no idea what to say.

Samuel's eyes narrowed. "Follow me," he said before leaving out the back door.

Piper felt so completely stupid. Kissing him was a mistake. It was selfish to transfer her feelings for Bran into a kiss with another. It was even more selfish and slightly horrifying to do so with Bran's son. _What on earth had she been thinking._

Samuel, apparently, already knew. "You're in love with Da."

"I'm sorry, Samuel. I shouldn't have done that."

"_What_? Kiss me or pant out Da's name afterward."

Piper winced. _Could she honestly be any more pathetic?_

"Both."

Samuel nodded and Piper was amazed at the good humor still in his eyes. _Dam she loved those eyes_. Just, not this pair, she grumbled.

"S'alright. That was _some_ kiss…."

Piper snorted. Of course, it was a great kiss. She had channeled every frustration, every worry, every feeling she felt for Bran into it. And right now, the depth of those feelings could fill the Mississippi

"I just thought…. I'm just such an idiot."

Samuel smiled and pulled her into a loose hug. "No, you're not. And you're not the first to fall for him… The Marrok is a seductive position." His eyes twinkled at the thought.

Piper shifted, "I could care less about the-"

"What's going on here." The voice cut like a whip. Both turned to see a stern looking Bran. His disapproval of them wrapped in each other's arms was clear on his face.

Piper dropped her arms from Samuel's waist. The bite on his neck still infuriated her, "s'none of your concern, Squints."

Samuel left a casual arm slung across her shoulder, "We were just talking, Da."

A strange look flashed across Brans face, his eyes sought out hers. "Go inside, Samuel."

He pulled her closer, " Seriously, nothing was happening."

"Samuel. Leave."

"Da';" Samuel dropped the arm from her shoulders, frowning, "you're being ridiculous, Pipers an adult."

Bran broke eye contact with her. She saw his eyes pale further as he wildly looked on his son, "Don't touch her again."

Something passed between the two men. Piper saw a flare of understanding light in Sam's eyes before he left. The crescent shaped bite mark stood starkly out against his skin. It was an ugly reminder of her stupidity. Her anger grew.

"What the hell was that!" She demanded.

"You kissed Samuel," He accused.

"Im 25 Bran! I can kiss whoever I want."

He matched her anger. Throwing his arms, as he spoke.

"No you cant!"

"Why? Why do you care! You're the one with the mate and the love bites."

"It's not what you think."

"I think you slept with her!"

"She's my mate, Piper!"

"And what am i?"

"I don't know. But you're not available to kiss men."

"Actually... I am! You're just jealous." Piper tried to move past him but he grabbed her arm before she could.

"You don't know what you're talking about."

She turned sharply toward him, poking a finger into his chest. "How do you think I feel watching you and Leah? Hearing people talk about you two? Like you belong to her!

"I do belong to her and she to me- that's what a mate is."

Piper scoffed, "That's bullshit. The marrok belongs to her. You belong to-" Piper stopped, suddenly, not wanting to complete the thought let alone say it out loud. She shook her head and began to walk past him, again. Bran didn't let it go.

"Say it," he hedged. His eyes burned, paler than she'd ever seen. They were so utterly beautiful and so unique, she could barely believe she'd mistake Samuel's for the pair.

Despite, his beauty, despite her feelings, Piper wouldn't play this part. She refused to be with him this way, while he wore Leah's mark on his neck.

"No," she said.

He came closer, pushing her back two steps. "Then I will," he declared, "I cant stop thinking about you. I don't want to. I am crazy jealous when anyone touches you." He took a breath and Piper could only stare dumbly at him, "I want to touch you everyday, so badly. When I'm with you I loose myself and then... I find myself all over again."

Before any intelligent thought returned, Bran roughly grabbed and kissed her. Heat speared throughout her stomach as they fought to consume each other. His hands were rough on her neck and she brought her own up to cup his face. As his tongue fought with her own, she grabbed him for a harder hold. Their bodies meshed and the heat became a fire, threatening to completely consume Piper.

Still tangled, he backed her against the brick wall, satisfying some spark that had been there since the moment they'd met. Piper had never felt so right. The sheer destiny of the act was overwhelming. Her fingers made their way across his chin, toward the back of his neck so she could deepen the kiss. As they moved, she felt them brush over the puckered edges of his lovebite.

The reminder was like a bucket of cold water. Piper pushed him roughly back before snarling, "Go back to your mate, Bran."

Bran searched her face.

"Piper, I-"

"you made your decision when you did that," She nodded toward the ugly mark on his neck, "and when you didn't bother covering it up-"

Piper watched as he argued with himself. She tried to remain as angry as she could, encouraging him to return to Leah. When he disappeared within the doorway she crumbled to the ground.

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><p><strong>OKay, so i am determined to finish this story within the next few chapters. Dont get me wrong. Lots is going to occur and they are going to be GOOOD :) .. If you review i will write faster.<strong>


	14. quattuordecim

**This chapter was harder to write. I'd appreciate your reviews.**

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><p>Piper woke up furious with herself. Last night had been the single best and single worst experience she'd had since coming to Aspen Creek. Kissing Bran had sparked something in her that she couldn't even recognize. The single act had felt so right. And worse, the kiss hadn't satisfied her need for him. It had taken serious willpower to push him away.<p>

Piper grumbled as she shoved handfuls of clothes into her bag. A few days ago, Bran had promised to drive her to the airport and despite what occurred last night, she was sure he would still come. Bran wasn't one to break a promise. _Despite the one he'd made to his mate,_ she pettily thought.

In truth, this trip couldn't have come at a better time. She had been relieved that Van had agreed so quickly to her visit. And even better, the detective friend she had called a favor on had finally come through. This visit was as much for her need for vengeance as it was a reprieve from Bran.

She was sure that everyone had figured she'd moved on by now. Piper kept most of the guilt and anguish she felt in thoughts of Mac to herself. In secret, she had hired a P.I. to track the Reds new local hangout. After months of waiting, the group had finally resurfaced in the basement of a dingy bar Sandbox. Piper had decided the moment she'd gotten the information she would end this. Mac's killers wouldn't go free. She would die trying before she let this all go.

Piper was also sure that both Alphas would have their panties in a bundle if they knew her real reason to visit Detroit. Obviously, she hadn't told anyone the real reason. She only hoped they would forgive her in time. Both Van and Bran had spoken to her about changing into a wolf. In truth, she was interested in the idea. However, there was always a risk she wouldn't survive the she didn't those Reds would walk free. Piper refused to even acknowledge the idea of changing until after their deaths. She only hoped she would live that long.

Besides, remaining a human had its advantages. Neither Alpha had any jurisdiction over her, despite both of their delusions. They couldn't order her to not do this. Piper figured that they would, however, stoop to lock her in some room until the Reds changed locations, therefore making secrecy necessary.

She grabbed her bags and locked away the morbid thoughts as she shut the door to the orange room. Earlier, Piper had decided it would be best to wait for Bran on the curb. By the time his beat up truck pulled up, she was practically vibrating with anticipation.

_How was she supposed to act around_ him? Their past interactions had all been fueled by the idea that her attraction toward him was one-sided. Now that she knew it was not, how would she act, worse, how would he act.

Would he try to kiss her again? she wondered. Maybe, he would confess more feelings. Piper really hoped he did neither because she was fairly sure she wouldn't be able to control herself in that situation. As she opened the cab door, she pictured throwing herself across the bench seat, straddling his lap,-"Morning, Piper."

_Shit, don't think about having sex with him, don't think about having-_

"Ye- Hey, G'Morning."

She climbed in and began to fidget with a grayed edge of her bag, beating away all visions of licking him from head to toe. Nothing was working however, so she searched his neck for some sign of the bite. Unfortunately, due to stupid werewolf healing, the mark was gone. She tried to remember it, tried to call up some of the anger she felt, but instead his words played back to her.

_I can't stop thinking about you._

The cab seemed to shrink in size. Bran cleared his throat uncomfortably. In his stupid Marrok voice, he said, "Piper, we need to talk about last night."

The shiver worked itself down his spine the second her name left his lips. Piper practically purred, "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Piper," he scolded. She continued to stare out the window._ Don't think about sex, don't think about sex._

"Last night was," he said.

_miraculous, wonderful, life-shattering, orgasmic._

"a mistake."

"_Oh._" The exclamation left her lips without thought. She looked toward him sharply. His jaw was clenched tightly and the tops of his knuckles were white.

"What?" she asked dumbly.

"I shouldn't have done that. I'm sorry."

Piper was irrationally shocked. The pain in her chest bloomed. Bran was actually taking back that moment, he was playing down what had occured. Out of all his possible reactions, Piper had never thought determined, intense, goofy Bran would regret kissing her.

"right." She fought for a grip on reality as he glanced toward her, looking stern. Piper noted dumbly that his eyes looked attractive with the brown shirt he wore.

"I have a mate. I just can't do that," he informed her, as if she hadn't already known that. The condesending angered her. Of course, she knew he had a mate. Leah's snarling face popped into her mind. _A terrible, repulsive, hideous, psychotic mate. _

His tone implied she was some child who did not know this. As if, Piper were the one who had kissed him, the one who had said all those wonderful, _disloyal_, things. The thought both hurt and angered Piper. In the battle between the two emotions, she held onto the anger.

"Stop acting like i did this! You kissed me! You admitted feelings for me!"

"I know I did." he said diplomatically, "I'm sorry. It was unfair-"

The tone was so cordial, so _leader of the North American Werewolves_ that Piper snapped.

"-DROP THE FUCKING ACT, SQUINTS!"

The outburst had worked to jolt him from the role. He looked confused, but his tone turned normal. "Piper, I'm not-"

"Yes, yes you are. Dop that bureaucratic tone. Stop talking to me like I'm some Alpha having a bad hair day."

He glanced at her quickly before nodding once. "You're right, I'll stop. I just wanted to apologize."

"What are you apologizing for? Kissing me or for liking it?"

Piper took his silence for an answer. She continued, "I know you meant what you said, so why are you taking it back?"

"Because it isn't right." his eyes pleaded with her to agree with him.

This was the moment, Piper realized. This was her moment to be honest, to open up. It wasn't something she did easily or without effort. The sheer idea was altogether frightening. But, she admitted, she was tired of pretending, tired of hiding how she felt. Besides, Piper was quite realistic that she may not survive this visit home. She didn't want to leave Aspen Creek without knowing.

With a large breath, she unleashed it, "But it is right, Bran. This, us, it feels right."

Piper wasn't sure if he knew how hard this was for her, but he stayed quite until she finished, glancing between her and the road as she spoke.

"We both know that something is here. Me and you..." she fought to find the right words, "We make sense. We're good for eachother. And-" another deep breath, "and i can't stop thinking about you either, not since that first day on those steps."

Somehow, by the time she had finished they had arrived at the tiny airport. Bran was quite for a few moments as he shifted the truck to park and leaned into the seat. He ran a hand over his closed eyes and up through his cropped blonde hair.

"Piper," he chose his words carefully, "A werewolf can only have one mate at a time."

The sentence wasn't entirly true, it was rare, but some wolves left their mates, Piper knew, that the idea was merely unnratural, but still it occured, she told Bran as much.

"Van and Alex are divorced. That doesn't make them not mates."

"But they're not. Van doesn't love her!" She tried to make him understand, but to her own ears she sounded pathetic, "I know you, Squints, You don't love her."

Piper watched in horror as his jaw clenched and he turned toward her. he looked at her sadly, and Piper felt pathetic, "You're wrong. I do love her."

The love bite popped into her mind. In a last attempt, Piper added, "Not the way you should, not the way that matters."

Bran took another deep breath. Suddenly, he looked much older than mid-twenties. She could tell he was gearing up to say something. Piper was practically vibrating from the anticipation, she knew where this was going, knew that this was going to hurt.

Finally, he said, "I wont leave her, Piper," She lost her breath, "I wont do that to her."

Piper nodded as if she understood, but with those words, she lost all understanding of the world. Her heart squeezed painfully. Breath did not come easily. Anna was right, Bran would never love her. Piper felt like a foolish girl.

With the last courage she could muster, Piper leaned across the cab and cupped his cheek. She smiled sadly at him, while grazing the stubble on his chin. "Goodbye Bran," she whispered, before opening the door and crawling out of the truck.

The walk toward the plane felt like a death march. Piper admitted that Bran would never be hers, and since Aspen Creek was Bran, the place would never be her home. And with a note of finality, Piper realized there was nothing left for her in Montana. This chapter was over. Piper boarded the plane without looking back.

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><p><strong>Whoo. I hope this satisfied you...and made you wanting more :)<strong>


	15. quīndecim

**Had a rough day today, so i felt like writing. Loving your reviews, keep them coming.**

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><p>The terminal around her buzzed with life as she fingered the frayed edge of her bag. Piper was so lost in her thoughts of Bran that she didn't see Van until he tapped her on the shoulder. His face was lit up with excitement and joy. Piper tried to convey the same.<p>

"Van!" They hugged for a long moment, longer than she had ever before, besides at Mac's funeral. In his arms, Piper felt herself wanting to melt, wanting to cry and tell him all about the past six months, tell him she was running away.

It was a close thing too, if she hadn't been holding herself together for a task. One that she was anticipating with the highest regard.

"Welcome home," he whispered in her ear, still holding onto her. After a moment, she loosened and he stepped back.

She looked at the black shirt and jacket he wore. His face was smooth but still seemed older to her than Bran's. His sandy hair, which hung slightly over his eyes instantly comforted her. Without thought, she reached up to run a hand through it, scuffing it in a way that she knew infuriated him.

"I see you grew that bald spot back out," she teased.

He lifted her backs, naviagating them toward a black suburban, "I did. But my permanently-singed chest hair will never forgive you."

Piper laughed, remembering how Mac had howled with laughter for days after she had accidentally set Van on fire. She had thought the thing in her hand was a sparkler, a moment too late, Van had walked over to say hello. Piper still remembered how uncomfortable she had felt all night, watching him peel off the burned skin as the new layers regrew. Of course, that had been when she had barely come around the pack. Back then, she had been too busy with her latest mission to play with werewolves.

As the doors to outside slid open, a wall of frigid Detroit air hit her. She remembered a time once, when the smell of the city would soothe her. Some nights, she would sneak up on top of their apartment building for hours, just taking in the smells and sights.

The smell now, lacked all warmth, or familiarity. It was entirely too metallic and smoke-ridden. It was yet another thing she blamed on Bran.

As they climbed into the car, Van began to ask her questions.

"Yea, yea, you were right, Obewonkanobe. Montana's really nice."

He chuckled, "I knew you'd like it. When are you-"

"-Where's T.J.?"

Van didn't mind the interruption, "Oh, he had some phone call to take. He's at home."

Home. Pack headquarters. Bodekin Luxury Supplies. She had once thought of the three concepts as sononomous. But now, Piper found herself thinking of green forest and pale blue eyes as home. Pack headquarters was the solid house she jogged past every morning and the only luxury supplies she cared for was Tag's 1998 Macintosh. Piper began to feel like a stranger.

Van continued to pepper Piper with questions as they drove home. She told him about Aspen Creek, leaving out Leah and Bran. His eyes did a funny-bug-out-thing when she told of how frequently she teased Charles, but with a shake of his head he moved on.

"You're going to stay for the anniversary, right?" The word left a cold lump in Piper's throat. An anniversary was something to celebreate. Like ten years of business, or twenty fucking years of mates, Piper grumbled. This was neither. This was a day of regret, this was a day of absolute torture, this New Years would a year since Mac died.

The single idea that a year had already passed without him was absolutely ridiculous. Mac was a part of every single waking minute of her day, except for those spent drooling over Bran. _because that would just be weird,_ she could imagine Mac teasing.

"I'll be here."

He nodded and she figured took her stiff tone for her desire to change the subject.

"So, how's Ole' Bran doing?"

She thought of his regret for kissing her, his dismissal of her feelings, His love for Leah.

"Not dead yet." _Unfortunately_.

Van chuckled, "Well, I would hope not. The Marrok keeps us all together."

_And he's torn me all apart._

The thought was so depressing, Piper ceased speaking afterward. She instead, watching as parts of the city flew by. Eventually, Van asked her what was wrong, she claimed to just miss it here. It was a lie. Piper no longer cared for the cramped city.

When they arrived at Van's house, he grabbed her bag as Piper glared at the traitorous cement steps. An image of a whistling Bran walking up each one was practically unforgettable..

While in her daze, T.J. had opened the front door, a smile on his too-handsome face.

"T.j. did you get her room-"

Gaining momentum, Piper vaulted up the steps. T.J.'s smile grew as he spread his arms, waiting for her to reach the top and give him a hug. However, once at the top, Piper never stopped. She continued forward, pulling her left arm back, in the process. There was a split second of understanding, before her fist connected with the expression on his face. Piper smiled, marveling not even werewolf speed could dodge a hit that unexpected.

T.j. crumbled over, most likely from shock rather than the force of the blow.

"PIPER! What the hell?" She ignored Van, lightly stepping over a groaning T.J., into the hallway of the building. Over her shoulder she lightly said, "Oh, T.J. knows what it's for," before walking down the hall towards her room.

The hit had been well worth the swollenness Piper's left hand was taking. For a moment, she was worried she'd broken it. Van, had obviously anticipated this, as he'd showed up to her room minutes later holding an ice pack.

Without a word, he inspected her knuckle, giving it a nod before pressing the ice against it. His actions were tender and for a moment, Piper felt like a child.

In a quiet voice he asked, "You're not going to tell me what he did, are you?"

She shook her head.

Van sighed, "How am I supposed to discipline my second if I don't know what he did."

"Get a new second," Piper shrugged.

He eyed her strangely for a moment, "You know, i could just ask Bran."  
>"Don't!" Piper said a moment too quickly.<p>

Van eyes narrowed.

"What's going on?"

Unsure what to say, Piper mumbled something about being Jetlagged.

"Montana is only two behind here, Piper."

She waved a hand, nonchalantly, "I need to get back on Michigan time."

"But it's six O'clock..."

Dropping all pretense, Piper looked into his eyes, "Van, she pleaded, " I'll resurface tomorrow just give me-," her breath hitched as Bran's words resurfaced, _I do love her_, "-give me tonight."

Finally, he agreed, telling her they had stocked the kitchen all her favorites. When he kissed the top of her head, welcoming her back, Piper had decided she wished she never left.

The next few days were slightly awkward. T.J.'s nose had been broken and whether as punishment or stupidity, it had been set wrong. The imperfection actually suited his face, Piper thought. At least he didn't look so feminine anymore. T.J., however, had not been fond of the remodeling. Van had simply said he'd have to break it again to set it right. Piper had offered with a smile but strangely, T.J. had declined.

She also found Van's behavior as slightly strange in that time. He watched her practically every moment they were together. When he wasn't working, they would solve one of the millions of puzzles he had lying around or listen to music in his study. A few times, Van had remarked how different Piper was acting. She had joked she drank some of that happy juice they were handing out in Montana. Despite, the attempt at humor, Van had continued to frown at her.

Yesterday, they'd cooked chicken curry for the pack and gone to a shooting range. Piper had spent the entire day smiling, which had marginally decreased Van's strange behavior. However, the frown returned when she explained she was meeting up with friends last night. He had even insisted, she call him to tell when she'd be home.

Piper wan't used to the mother hen routine with Van but she was so happy to escape she didn't argue. Of course, she wasn't really meeting anyone, or not friends at least.

It was her third time making an excuse to do some recognizance on the Sandbox, the new meeting place of the Redicious. Watching the fanatical group made her blood boil. The bar was closed for business so she had to hangout in some thick shrubbery across the street. SHe'd figured out that they never entered the bar, only left it at the same time every day. Piper figured there was some kind of back or underground entrance to the place, one that she'd need to find and exploit.

Piper had left the spying feeling frustrated and dirty. When she'd walked in the door, Van had only raised an eyebrow at the dirt smudge on her cheek and the small fern sticking out of her hair. She chirped something about tripping before retiring for the night.

However, it wasn't until this morning that Piper realized Van was a lot more perceptive than she gave him credit for. They had started the morning on the couch in the living room. Each were enjoying their ridiculously good french-coffee, when Van had started to ask more about Bran.

She had jokingly replied, "Bran, who?" hoping to deflect him but, ever the Alpha, Van insisted on information. Piper had been forced to make some half-lies in the process of antinomy.

_Yea, Bran is doing great._

_Oh, yeah, his mate is oh, so lovely._

_Yeah, the wolves do wear snowshoes sometimes._

Despite, her politically correct answers Van hadn't been satisfied. He'd begun to ask her about her romantic life in Aspen Creek and Piper had altogether lost it. She accused him of being _a nosey old wolf, who couldn't even manage to blow down a house of straw._

Piper winced at the memory, two hours later, as she lifted a hand to knock on his door. The raps were foreign, as she had never before done so. However, she was fairly sure this situation called for it.

"Come in," he called.

Taking a deep breath, Piper slid the door to the study open. Van's furniture was mostly grey and black. Where Bran's was thick and woodsy, Van's was sleek and modern. The latter of the two was sitting in his favorite chair, a book overturned in his lap. His smile was reasuring.

"Can we talk?"

"Of course," he motioned to the loveseat across form him.

Piper sat down, unsure what to do with her hands.

"It's about Aspen Creek..."

Van sat forward slightly.

Piper met his eyes, not caring what he said, "I'm not going back. I'd like to stay at BLS until i can find a place."

The Alpha looked at her suspiciously, "and why is that?"

For the past few hours, Piper had chewed on this moment. She had thought of numerrous things to say, ways to say them, half-truths, half-lies and everything else she could think of. However, when she'd spotted the picture on the desk in her room, the one of Van, Mac and her at Cedar Point, her mind had been made. Van had been like another brother to her. Explaining this to him would be hard enough, especially since he was worried about her. He deserved the truth.

"I can't stay there anymore, Van."

He sighed, looking not altogether surprised, "who did you piss off?"

She smiled sardonically, "Well, Leah is _not_ a fan."

Van nodded, grimacing in a slight way that Piper figured he'd had the pleasure to meet the woman.

"I Kinda figured that when you refered to her as Satan's right hand last night."

Piper chuckled. Sometimes, her sense of humor got the best of her. The answer would serve as enough for Van but Piper remembered the picture and felt compelled to tell him the rest, moreover she _wanted_ to.

"She's not the only reason. There's-" She knew telling him was like pulling a bandaid. However, she wasn't really sure which side to pull first. _Tell him she's in love with Bran or tell him Bran loves her but also loves Leah._

"Well, it's complicated but I met someone there and-"

Van nodded as she spoke, looking not at all surprised. "You're in love," he supplied.

"I _thought_ i was."

"Piper, I knew something was different the moment I saw you. You've been mooning around this place for days. I've never seen you like this over a guy." He paused, studying her, "I can tell you don't want to be here, whatever he did, go back and forgive him."

When Van finished, he smiled brightly at her, as if he had just given her the answers to the universe. _He just had to make this hard, didn't he._

"It's not that simple."

"Why? His eyes narrowed and he gathered her hands in his own. Piper could practically see his protective instincts kick in. If he was in wolf form, that Sandy pelt of his would be standing on edge, "What did he _do_ to you?"

"Van…" Piper pulled her hands from his, scrubbing her face. He was going to go all hairy if she kept dragging this out. With a deep breath she said, "Van, the _guy_ is Bran."

He was surprised, she could tell as much from the raised brow and wide open mouth. Any second now he'd start drooling and she'd be responsible for brain damage.

"Bran as in?..."

Piper nodded. "the Marrok," she supplied, hating using the title.

Van sat back in his seat, his eyes staring into blank space, as if trying to solve something in his mind, "Piper, he's mated."

In truth, she didn't care for the disapproval in his voice. "We didn't plan for it."

Within the ruddy brown eyes, fire lit, "_We_?..."

"Yes, we. Do you think i'm some thirteen year old with a crush?"

"No. He just should know better."

"Just leave it Van," she smiled at him, "I just had to tell you."

It took him an entire moment to soften toward her. He pulled her into his arms and the compassion vibrating off him made Piper feel small. He made her feel safe. "I'm so sorry, Piper."

Small drops of water formed in her eyes. Dumbly, she realized that she hadn't even needed to explain to Van what Bran did. He knew. Bran would never leave Leah. It made her feel worse.

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><p>Van had held her until her small shudders subsided. Every instinct in him was ready to fight, ready to protect the girl that he considered family. His wolf was angry with the Marrok. The man, who was the wolf's leader, should have known better. Leading on the girl had been a cruel thing to do. A part of Van wondered whether Bran really was as cruel as the stories made him to be. Perhaps his easy demeanor was the act.<p>

Picking up his cell phone, Van scrolled down through his contacts, finding the Bran Cornick somewhere near the top. He clicked the number and attempted to control the anger and shock that had gotten him to this moment.

Bran was usually a prompt man. In fact, many times in the past he had answered Van's call before the phone had practically rang. It was a gift of his and his son's to know what was coming. However, Van had never heard Bran answering in such a panic.

The phone had barely had a moment to ring, before the Marrok answered. "Hello." He sounded breathless. The idea altogether was very un-Bran like. Van pulled the phone away from his ear, checking the display, as if he had dialed the wrong number.

**Bran Cornick** stood brightly on the screen. An inkling took place in Van's mind. He had heard the _we _ Piper had used earlier. He had been thinking it was just a passing fancy for Bran or perhaps even some strange extension of protective instincts. The unhinged tint to the Marrok's voice however, suggested a new notion altogether.

Van aimed for nonchalance, "Hello Bran."

It took a moment for the other man to speak. When he did, he said, "What can I do for you Van."

The tone sounded more controlled, more like Bran but Van held on to that fraction of anxiousness he heard. He wasn't going to let the notion go so easily.

"Tell me Bran, how's Aspen Creek."

"It's fine. Why do you ask?"

"Well, apparently it's not to Piper's liking, she's decided to stay in Detroit."

If not for the werewolf hearing, van wouldn't have heard the hitch in Bran's breathing nor the soft growl that leaped up from the man's throat. Bran's wolf didn't sound happy. The idea only solidified what Van was beginning to believe.

Perhaps Piper wasn't the only one in love. Perhaps both the wolf and man had chosen a new mate. He honestly couldn't remember it happening without some form of seperation before hand. Then again, Bran wasn't one to conform to convention. Absently, Van thought of Leah's snarling face.

Bran cleared his throat, it sounded calculating. "Just send her back, I'll handle it."

It was then that Van let all pretenses drop. Marrok or not, this wolf had hurt Piper. He had sent her to him for safety and instead of protecting her Bran had gotten her wrapped up in true danger, the kind that shattered her heart and risked her life. Again, a snarling Leah came to mind.

"I'm not sending her back, Bran. Whatever happened between you two, is over."

A moment passed before he answered, "she told you."

"Yes, she did. What were you thinking Bran?"

The man's voice changed, transformed, he sounded defensive, "I didn't plan for it to happen."

Van snorted. "I'm sure you didn't. And i'm sure that just killed you, something not going according to plan." It was well known that both Bran and his son's had a way of knowing what was to come. Apparently, not even the spirits could predict Piper. The thought didn't really surprise Van.

"Watch it, Vanderick."

Van didn't care for the reprimand. His anger had started to grow. He didn't care that the next question was out of line, didn't care whether Bran's own anger grew. He was the only one left to protect piper. Before Mac diid, he had made the promise to protect his absent sister if anything ever happened. She had started off as a task, but soon, grown to be regarded as another sister to him or, more correctly a mouthy daughter. Van asked anyway, "Do you love her?"

If for the hesitation, Van may have believed the Marrok's next words. The pause however, was telling enough.

"No. I have a mate."

"You should remember that next time you persue another woman."

"I didn't pursue her."

"Don't lie to me Bran, You were supposed to keep her safe."

"I did. That has noth-"

"You did the very opposite. You hurt her. She's cried every night since she got here."

Van winced slightly at the admission. In truth, he hadn't planned on telling Bran that, he knew Piper would be upset and that was the last thing he'd wanted. The complete silence on the other end, however, was satisfying. The slip was almost worth rendering the Marrok speechless.

Van continued, "We both know Leah isn't much of a mate. You picked her because you didn't want to get hurt." It was well-known how Bran's wolf had picked the girl. Bran wasn't one for conventionality, but even that was rare, especially since the woman had been so harsh. "Piper is the most amazing, most stubborn woman I've ever met and If you can't recognize that then its your loss."

A slight growl sounded over the line, the wolf was angry. Absently, Van wondered if it was jealousy. "We may be friends, Vanderick, but remember I am the Marrok."

"You may be Marrok, but you're a stupid man, Bran."

Van disconnected the call before any more damage could be done. He dropped the phone, raising one hand to scrub his face, before he spotted a figure in the corner of his eye. Piper stood in the doorway, a blaket wrapped around her slender shoulders. He could tell she had clearly been listening to the words exchanged with Bran. Not looking away from his eyes, she nodded once, before turning and walking up the stairs.

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><p><strong>freaking aye, the last few Paragraphs of this chapter were PERFECT. but FF decided not to save them. I tried, but my energy was spent and they are not as good. I'll fix them later<strong>


	16. sēdecim

**Let me tell you, for starting this story thinking NO ONE would read it, I am ecstatic with all your responses.**

**Thank you for the great reviews!**

**Who predicted this chapter? Let me know. **

**Enjoy!**

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><p>A gun clicked in her left ear and the sound alone made Piper's stomach drop. She turned toward the dark man holding the handgun, wearing a twisted smile. "Look what we have here, a <em>heathen<em>."

The three Redicious soldiers behind him hooped at the discovery. "What," Piper snarled, "Was your bible camp all boys?"

"I've seen plenty of wolf-whores, in my day." His snarl deepened, revealing a scar on his upper lip.

"I'm not a wolf."

He smiled, "no, your worse. You've got beast blood and you fuck them."

Piper scowled, "go crucify yourself, ugly."

The man's smile turned sour. Piper watched as he lifted his thick fist, pulling it back, before blackness engulfed her.

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><p>The mechanical chime of a phone rang, stirring Bran out of the discomfort that arose yesterday afternoon. He had already called Charles twice and both Samuel and Mercy had assured him all was well and yet, the feeling remained. The spirits itched up and down his arms as he reached for the phone in his pocket. His wolf was pacing beneath the surface. Van's name appeared on the screen, making his wolf even more restless.<p>

"Van…"

"Please, tell me she's there with you." The words went down like ice, Bran's hackles rose. He held back the snarling wolf long enough to demand, "What's going on?"

"Piper's missing. She's been gone twenty-four hours."

The image of Piper's brused and bloody body appeared before him. The wolf raged on.

"Why didn't you call sooner!"

Van grew quiet a moment. "She used to do this," he explained, "she said she had a date."

The jealousy both man and wolf felt were irrational, unfair and yet, they practically consumed him.

"What. Did. She. Say."

He sounded uncomfortable, "She said not to wait up. I thought-"

The growl that had escaped from Bran's lips drowned out Van's thoughts.

"I'm coming there. Call me if you hear from her."

"I'm not sure that's a good idea."

Bran let all his anger, his frustration, his power show through in his voice as he spoke. Dangerously calm, he said, "I am the Marrok, boy. I don't care what you think."

He tossed down the phone and began to gather money and necessities. He tried to ignore the wolf raging and his own frantic thoughts, in order to do what was necessary. He made his way to the den, pushing against the false wall. The click and newly exposed guns reassured him, if only momentarily.

"Going somewhere?" Leah snarled from behind him.

He ignored her, continuing to pack ammo and guns into the bag.

"You can't do this!"

She came behind him and he pushed away the arm she tried to lay on him. Pushing past her, he spoke to Charles through their mental link,

_Something's happened to Piper. I'm going to Detroit._

_-Is she alright?_

_I don't know. I'll call as soon as I do._

"-fucking whore , aren't you!"

Bran hadn't heard Leah's missed words, but those he had were enough. In an instant, the twenty years meant nothing. What was between him and Leah was broken, it had been for years, perhaps since it began. He hadn't lied to Piper, Bran loved Leah, a type of love one would have for an old friend or someone they felt responsible for. The feelings were altogether different from how he felt for Piper.

Time froze as he stared at the snarling face of his mate. She was carrying on. Waving her hands violently as spit flung from her mouth. The snarl on her face was twisted and Bran saw her for once, not as a sad girl whom he'd mislead, but a cruel woman not worthy of caring and leading any of his wolves.

Silently, he fingered their thread-thin connection within his mind. It was his ability to see his pack bonds as well as his own mate bond, mentally. The pack was connected through a spider-web of interconnected links. Each were strong and somehow came back to his own chain. However, Bran noticed that none stood close to his bond with Leah. Despite being part Alpha for twenty years, she had made no real bonds for herself.

Bran looked closer at their bond. It was jagged and looked as if it had been broken and knotted back together in many places. He looked once more at Leah. She was no longer snarling, vying for now silence as she glared daggars at him.

_It's over, _he thought. And whether she'd heard him mentally or saw his resignation her expression changed as he tore away the final strand that connected them.

"I'm sorry Leah," was all he said, before turning away from her shocked face.

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><p>The hours had slugged by in slow succession. The blood on her face had dried to<p>

crust and her left eye was swollen, matching the bottom left corner of her chin. Three of the men were sprawled on couches in front of her. They were watching some disciple preach on the sins of man.

The tunnel that Piper had come in through was now shut, warded against any further intruders.

Blood dripped from the ropes tied around her hands, from places where her pocket knife had nicked them. She was feverntly thankful the dolts hadn't properly searched her for weapons.

The rope had already spit partially, but still not enough to tug away from her hands. She yanked harder, wincing as the chair scraped loudly against the floor.

The man, Michael, her mind supplied, turned, caught by the sound. A smile came over his face as he stood, making his was over toward the chair. "Ready for more, _Piper_?"

She scowled at his coo of her name. Somewhere in the middle of last night, he had beaten the word from her lips. The reminder made her feel sick and helpless. Before this man had shown up, Piper had managed to reveal nothing about herself. The others had quotes scripture at her, called her a beast-lover and told how her sins made her life forfeit.

This man, Michael, was different. His face was burned into her face, along with his cruel smile since the night he'd murdered Mac. Piper wasn't sure she'd ever forget the pure glee in his eyes as he shot her brother.

Looking at him now, nothing had changed. The excitement in his eyes as he'd beaten and groped her all night was unmistakable. It alone made Piper furious and sick.

She tugged again at the ropes, as he came to stand in front of her. Absently, he ran a finger across her exposed collarbone, "You've been a bad girl, Piper He tisked, "I think it's time you've been punished some more."

"Jax, come here" he called out, smiling savagely, "and bring your knife."

The blonde came, murmuring something about _heathens_ under his breath. Michael nodded toward her, "get some of her blood," he smiled at her, "your devils are going to _love_ this."

Jax, stood in front of her. "_And those beside the road are those who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their heart, so that they may not believe and be saved."_

"Luke 8:10," she replied.

He faltered for a moment, snarling, "quiet devil!" before leaning over her, slashing the knife across the top of her breast. The blood welled up, soaking the top of the white top she wore. Piper cursed at him.

Jax worked quickly, cutting away the soaked piece, before handing it to Michael. As Michael turned, Jax wiped the blade clean on the skin above the wound. It was enough to infuriate her.

Piper dropped the pocket knife from her hands, into her tucked under feet. Grasping the blade between each foot, Piper heaved her weight backward, bringing the blade up into his sternum. Air whooshed from his lungs as the men around the room began to shout.

Jax fell deeper into the blade, and Piper smiled as death took him.

Michael took the blade back, waving it," tricky little, devil."

He put away the knife, but stupidly, forgot to check her bonds. The smile remained on Pipers face as they pulled away Jax's body, leaving a trail of blood in his wake.

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><p>Bran flew up the cement stairs of Bodekin Luxury supplies, throwing open the large door. The scene in the hall was complete chaos. A snarling Van held his second up against the wall, by his throat. "Tell me where you found this!"<p>

"I told you! Some guy gave it to me!"

"That's bullshit. She was angry with you, what did you do to her!"

"NOTHING! I would never-"

All efforts to hold himself together were lost at the scrap of red fabric held in Van's hand. Bran leaped forward, knocking Van aside, slamming T.J. again into the wall.

"Tell. Me. What. Happened." The wolf was near the surface now.

"The guy, he said he was a Red, he said to meet them tonight at ten."

"Or what?"

"They'll kill her."

_Thought fled, bones changed, snapping in and out of place. The wolf leapt forward, as fur began to sprout in various spots. The floor fled and neared. Time stopped, a second ticking by in a years time. A growl erupted, instinct kicked in._

_Werewolves, less dominant. Blood of mate. Must help her, her blood fills this room. Love mate. This man hurt mate, he tells lies. Want my mate. Growl at him. Watch him run. Chase. Other man in the way. Move man or else. Man slaps my muzzle. Growl at man, he is my wolf. I am not his. Follow me, wolf. Man speaks at me._

_"Wolf, if you want your mate back, give Bran control._

_I growl at his tone. He lowers his head, shows me his neck, "I can't do this without Bran."_

_The man fights for control, I let him take it back. I want my mate._

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><p><strong>What did you think? The Chapter needs to be glossed over, so I apologize.<strong>

**Stay tuned. keep Reviewing and I will keep writing. **


	17. septendecim

**This chapter was a tad longer/more action packed/awesome.**

**Therefore, I deserve some reviews.**

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><p>Eventually, Bran changed back and Van began to breath again. Despite, Bran being human, he remained locked in the study, too upset to leave or too unwilling to do so. Van ignored the sounds of broken furniture and waited for his pack to arrive. T.J. had put out the word, they were all to be here before 10:00, when the call would come.<p>

How the Reds got the Pack number, Van didn't care. He did, however, care to be ready by the time they called. He had already lost one Luna child, he wouldn't loose another. He would kill whomever hurt Piper. She's pack.

Van sat on a bench in the sitting room, greeting members as they arrived. Eventually, the room became filled. He glanced around at each of their faces, noting conflicting emotions. Various people lookes apprehensive and upset about Piper's kidnapping. Others, like the black wolf, Kale and the Asian wolf Seraph, looked outright outraged to even be here. Neither were a fan of Piper.

Thirty minutes to ten, the last of the Detroit pack arrived, crowding into the room. Everyone was stirring with anticipation. Van heard some of the younger members whisper about the Marrok being here, pointing to the study behind them.

Van also glanced toward the room. Sometime ago, the echoes of wood breaking had stopped. Waves of fury and dominance occasionally pulsed from the room. Those closest to it, didn't dare look away from the floor.

"They're all here," Van announced to the air. The study doors opened, revealing a freshly dressed, Bran. His hair was dripping wet, making him look altogether less unassuming. Chorded muscles on his forearms stood out, as he clenched his hands in fists on either side.

Bran made his way out of the study, ignoring the whispers, coming to stand next to Van. In front of them, was the pack phone. It stood there, unassuming and altogether unimportant, and yet, each member stared at it, willing it to produce answers.

Bran nodded to the group, "Thank you for coming," before turning all of his attention back toward the phone. The frown on his usually pleasant face looked alien.

Van turned toward his pack, reassuring them. "They're going to call at 10:00. From there, the Reds are going to give us a location to meet. I don't know how many will be there, so I want everyone to be ready to fight."

His attention turned toward Riley and Charlie, the two pups of the group, "only those of age are coming," he ignored their protests, turning toward some of the woman, "or those able," he said, pointing to one's pregnant belly. A few of them exchanged glances with their mates and Van swore he saw the men grow paler.

"If you are willing to fight, are able, and want to come, then you're welcome to. If not, I want you to stay here and protect eachother. It could be their plan to split us up and attack.

Some of the larger men nodded. Nancy, who was nervously glancing toward her nodding mate, spoke up. "This is an awfully big risk. Are you sure about this?"

Another man agreed, "This is alot for one girl,"

Amy, a girl who'd been close with Piper's brother, spoke to her defense, "Piper is Mac's sister. She's worth saving."

"She's nothing like Mac," David argued.

"Seriously," Paul, a younger man, toward the side of the room, murmured, "She's just some wolf-whore."

Before Van could stop him, the Marrok flew across the space. He had looked so calm a moment ago, the new scene was barley believable. With one hand, Bran held Paul up against the wall, by the throat. Paul choked, his legs leaving the floor. Bran's face was terrifying, absolutely calm and controlled.

"Call her that again, pup, and I'll rip your throat out."

The whole room had grown quiet, shocked by both the Marrok's violence and his possessive tone. Everyone knew she had gone to live in Aspen Creek, Van figured none had realized the effect she'd had on the town, on Bran.

Van was just about to calm Bran when the phone rang.

Everyone was so shocked by the sound, they all starred dumbly at the machine. It was only 9:40. Paul wheezed as Bran let go of him, walking toward the ringing.

He picked it up,. "Yes," he answered.

The room was absolute silence. Van regretted getting the customized phones which muffled the other line's words. He had once thought the invention as privacy-ensuring, something tailored to cancel out the infringement of werewolf ears. Now, he only saw it as unhelpful.

"Is she hurt?" Bran asked. The silence stretched on. When Bran spoke again, his words were clipped.

"What do you want?" More silence.

"Fine."

He hung up the phone, his body practically vibrating. Van recognized it as the need to change. Absently, he worried for the Old-man's sanity.

"Where is she?"

"At a bar, it's called the Rusty Boar, they said to be there within the hour or they'll kill her."

Van knew the place, he'd visited it once for a stag party. The rooms were dark and separated by metal bars, he had once smelled sewer within one room, close to the floor. "It's a trap, Bran."

"I know."

Van suspected it may come to this. It was a serious risk to walk into a trap set by the Redicious. The group may be mere men but they were fanatical to the point that they would gladly die for a cause. It was a risk to his pack. He glanced around at each of their faces. Elenor looked sad, Harvey looked ready to fight, Jared was angry, Susan was rubbing her stomach absently.

"I'm not asking this of you, lightly," he spoke to them. Van loved them all. He didn't want to loose them either. "If you want to come, then come. If not, you can still be helpful protecting the den. You decide." Van looked toward Bran, "Let's go."

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><p>Piper watched as the same young boy snuck into the room. For the last two days the kid had been her only source of comfort. His hair was the same sandy blonde as Bran's and he was just as quick to give a smile. Since she'd been captured, he'd been sneaking her water and food. Occaisionally, he would even sit with her and talk. He was still a Redicious, of course, with his gun pointed at her and occasionally citing bible verses, but his youth a scrappiness spoke out to Piper. He reminded her of herself. Everyone around referred to him as simply, <em>The Kid<em>. Piper had picked up bits and pieces of conversation, _when she wasn't being beaten into unconsciousness,_ all about his past. Kid was an Orphan, someone they'd picked up off the streets, he was sixteen, and the child of a crack-addicted mother. The men also spoke that he may be "too soft" to be one of them. The thought alone made Piper think he may be salvageable.

Michael sauntered into the room, a smile contorting the scar above his lip. "You're beasts are on their way, love."

A vision of a broken-bloodied Van, flashed before her eyes. The image gave her the last strength she needed to sever the strand of rope. She tried not to show her excitement as it gave way.

Michael walked toward his table of pain, as she'd coined it last night. Among the instruments was one of her two guns, the other, she remembered had been on Jax's belt.

He picked up a large dagger, fingering the sharp tip. A drop of blood welled up at the spot, "Well, it's been fun, hasn't it?" he asked rhetorically, "But i guess all good things must end." Michael smiled, wrinkling his bulbous nose and showing off a gold cap on one tooth.

"So the Redicious are in the business of murdering innocents now, are they?"

He snorted, "you're not an innocent. You're one of them. The devil is in your blood."

Piper rolled her eyes, the idiot really should read his werewolf report. "That's not how it works," she spoke condescendingly, "Putting aside your illiteracy, the top geneticists all say it's not passed through DNA."

"Of course they do, the devil wouldn't want his beasts being found out, would he?"

"It's a virus, ugly. It has nothing to do with Satan."

He backhanded her hard, splitting her lip and filling her mouth with blood. It took all her will power, not to pull her hands from the rope and strangle the bastard where he stood.

"You're blood is a creation of the devil. Therefore, you don't belong to my god. My god wants you extinct," he smiled at her, raising his knife, "and i am merely a humble servant, giving him all he shall desire." Piper knew this was her only chance. Shaking away the ropes, she smiled toward him, "I don't need your god," she said, "I've got a gun."

She ripped her hands from behind her back, kicking him hard in the gut, then lunging toward the table. "Getbackhere!" She fingered her gun but before she could grab it he knocked into her from behind, sending the table sprawling over.

Piper spun, kicking out his knee, hard, "Bitch!" He crumbled, but refused to let her go, dragging her down with him. She landed hard on top of him. "ooughff!" Somehow, he had managed to reopen the cut on her brow, she absently wiped away the blood but it didn't help much, as both her wrists and lip was still bleeding.

She tried to push herself off him, and felt a stinging pain on her palm. Piper looked down, remembering the knife he'd held before. It was now speckled with her blood.

He made a move to grab her again, jostling the knife away. Piper punched him hard, causing his head to snap back. She heard it hit the tile floor, as she scrambled across the ground, searching for the metallic glint.

Her fingers wrapped around the blade just as he tugged back on one of her legs. "You devil bitch!" Piper cried out as he embedded a scalpel in her calf. Weapon in hand, she jacknifed around, bring the blade down in his left arm. This time, Michael cried out, clutching the limb close.

Piper moved closer to him, watching detachedly as she brought the blade down, sinking it into his flesh.

As the life left Michael's cruel eyes, she Whispered, "That was for my brother," he twitched and she sunk the blade in deeper, shredding what little of a heart he'd had. "his name was Mac, you sonofa bitch."

When he quieted, she sat back, shaking violently. It was over. The man she'd watched shoot Mac was dead. Some foreign weight lifted off her chest. Piper suddenly felt very tired. She wanted to sleep. And perhaps, if not for the footfalls coming from the next room, she may have. Climbing over his body, Piper found her gun and tucked the knife into her belt. Again, she wiped blindly at the blood, most likely only smearing it further.

She took a deep breath, raising her gun and walking into the next room. Piper moved silently, like she'd been taught to do in her combat training. Flashes of a fosterfather named Rick, who'd once been in the NAVY SEALS flashed before her eyes. She shook away the thoughts.

THe first room was empty, however the next was not. The man who'd watched Michael beat her, hid behind one of the many corners. When the wood beneath her feet creaked, he rushed her. Whether he was stupid and untrained or just figured her harmless, Piper never knew. With one clean shot, he was down.

Just as he fell, another body rushed her from behind. Their arm locked around her neck, hooking her backwards. The attack sent her gun skidding across the room.

Piper threw an elbow into the person behind her, loosening their slack. She turned, kicking their feet out from under them, slipping the knife from her belt and stabbing him once. Piper turned, picking up her gun.

A squeak from the floor beside her made her lift it sharply. Staring down the sight, she saw kid, young and afriad. She felt sick. He was shaking violently, loosely holding onto a shotgun.

Bile tasted in her throat, "Put it down, Kid." He glanced toward the bodies on the floor, unsure. Slowly, he nodded, setting it aside. Piper breathed again as the barrel touched the floor. She made no move to lower her weapon or move closer to him. Tears were streaming down his face. "Run," she instructed, "If you need a safe place, go to the Museum, I'll find you."

Something foreign filled his eyes, something she hadn't seen in a long, _long_ time. He looked hopeful, "go!" she said again, watching as he ran.

A growl erupted from the room over and the single sound was the absolute best thing Piper had ever heard. Van was here. Van would take her home. She grew slightly woozy on her feet, but remained upright, still aiming her gun, as they pilled into the room.

When the first man wasn't Van, Piper's finger almost squeezed the trigger. However, the pale blue eyes staring back at her froze her completely. Dumbly, she asked, "What are you doing here?"

He looked smug or confused, Piper was too tired to tell. "Saving you," he glanced toward the bodies on the floor, "Which clearly, was unnecessary."

Before she could respond, Van ran up to her, engulfing her in a hug. Once in his arms, Piper let the blackness eat away at her vision and she fell.

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><p><strong>I had more to this but I'm putting it in the next chapter. This one had a lot going on already.<strong>

**Tell me what you think.**


	18. duodēvīgintī

**Well, it's syllabus week here at College, so i have a lot of free time. Therefore, here is another pretty-freaking-great chapter.**

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><p>Sometime during the car ride home, Piper had become conscious enough to demand they take her to the Museum. Van had chuckled, telling her she was woozy from bloody loss, to which she replied he would also be suffering from if he didn't take her to the fucking Museum.<p>

He had exchange some annoying look with Bran before agreeing to change directions. When they'd arrived, Piper had reached for the door, just as the sound of the locks clicking sprung to life. Van and Bran both turned toward her.

"What are we doing here, Piper?"

"Would you believe me if I said there's a Monet I really wanted to see?"

"No." Van declared, forcing Piper to come clean. She told them about the Kid, earning sympathetic looks from Van and hostility and confusion from Bran. The two other men in the car, Radcliff and T.J. kept quiet.

"Piper," Van said with Pity, "You can just take this kid in like some stray, he's a Red."

"He isn't a stray, he's a human. And he's not a Red, they picked him up off the streets."

"It's dangerous," Bran spoke, for the first time since he'd found her.

"I don't care what either of you have to say, I'm not part of your pack."

Bran looked away, Van practically scowled, "How dare you say that after everything we risked tonight!"

"Van, I didn-"

"Yes, you did. Quit being a brat and accept you're part of us."

Piper could admit she was part of them, she had felt it since the night Van had folded her in his arms after Mac's death. She couldn't, however, admit how wrong it felt taking orders from them. SHe would never be abel to cow to their pack structure, it just wasn't in her.

"I'm sorry, you're right. But i'm not playing by the same rules. I'm helping this kid with or without you."

"Why are you doing this?"

"Van, you know why..."

He looked away, a muscle in his jaw ticking. "Fine," he unlocked the door, "but he makes any trouble and he's out."

She climbed out of the car, scrambling up the steps only to be stopped by Bran. "Here," he said, tugging her toward him, "You look like hell." Gently he used a handkerchief to wipe away the blood and dirt. Piper had completely forgetting about it before he'd done it.

Quietly, he asked, "What's this about, Piper," he nodded toward the Museum doors.

It was one part of herself, she had kept from Bran. Piper had gladly told him everything else. But this, this was so deep, so personal, that she hadn't been ready to expose the hurt. Piper still wasn't sure.

"I- I can't talk about it." Bran nodded, disappointed, "You can ask Van if you want, it's just...painful to-"

"I understand," again he nodded toward the doors, "Let's go get your kid."

It had taken about thirty minutes of convincing Kid that she wanted to help him before he was relaxed enough to ask questions. She had assured him that he'd be okay, that the Reds wouldn't come after him. She had even promised not to let the wolfs hurt him, something she wasn't sure she could altogether keep. He had agreed to come with her, eat and spend the night. The wildness in her eyes reminded her of herself the night Rick had found her.

He clung to her the entire night, eating three helpings of spaghetti and giving a few smartass comments when people asked rude questions. Piper, walked him to his room, realizing how fond she'd already grown for him. When he'd asked to talk, some part of her knew what was coming.

To ease things she'd asked, "I'm guessing Kid is not your name, unless if you're parents had a thing for westerns?" He shook his head, "Then, what do you want to be called?"

"Brady," he said. "My name is Brady."

Piper nodded, waiting for him to speak again. "I just, I wanted to say thankyou."

"No problem, _Brady_."

He chuckled, "it's been so long since someone called me that."

"What happened to your parents?"

He fidgeted with the bed, "I know you heard about my mom," he said, "I heard from a dealer she died a few months back, my dad died when I was a baby."

"I'm sorry Brady."

He shrugged and Piper decided to fill the next silence with her own story. Something, as hse had told Bran earlier, was extremely painful to talk about. With all the pain Brady was in, Piper figured she could also get through it.

"My dad died when I was ten," he looked toward her, "My mom, got in a real bad way afterward, she dated some bad guys." Piper tried not to wince at the memories of fists hitting flesh, her mothers screams, Mac's crying. "One of the guys beat her so badly, she ended up dying. My brother and I were out on the streets by the time we were thirteen."

"What happened?" Mac asked

Piper shrugged, remembering the smells, the coldness, but most of all remembering the smiles she used to go to such lengths to see on Mac's face. "We got by. When I was sixteen, some guy caught me stealing from the fridge in his garage." Piper remembered how calm he'd been. Through the darkness, Rick had only smiled and asked her to grab him a Coke.

Brady looked horrified, "Holy shit. What did he do?"

A smile worked it's way onto her lips, "he adopted me and my brother," tears formed in her eyes, "he taught us everything about life and combat and how to be good people. We loved him."

Brady nodded, and a silence grew between them. Piper wondered if she'd told too much. Finally, he said, "So is that what this is? A pay it forward kind of thing?"

She supposed it could be seen as such. "Maybe," she shrugged, "Or maybe I just know how it feels." Piper smiled at Brady, before leaving him alone to his thoughts.

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><p>Piper's bedroom was dark, full of shadows and silence. The last two days played across her vision like a gag reel. Getting captured, being beaten, meeting Brady, killing the men, seeing Bran, it was all overwhelming, and yet, Piper felt like she was doing the absolute right thing. A peace had found itself somewhere inside of her and she was happy for peace stretched out before her, as she watched shadows splay across her ceiling.<p>

When the knock came, Piper realized she had known it would come, had waited for the moment since that first moment in the Sandbox. Since that moment, Bran had barely looked, touched or spoken to her all night.

Despite it, a part of her knew he would come. The door opened, alieving the room of some of the shadows. Bran let himself inside and with his presence the peace she felt fled in the wake of butterflies.

Bran said no words, maybe there was nothing really to say. Instead, he came to the bed as Piper folded back one side of the covers and climbed in. He wrapped his arms around her, still neither of them speaking.

A part of Piper marveled on how good it all felt, how much she'd missed him in the short time. She had never felt so completely happy with a man, not even Mac. Bran was everything to her. Bran was home. Piper didn't know when it had happened, but she realized, she loved him so severly it scared her. She wanted forever with him. But more importantly, she wanted him now, badly.

He pulled away after a few moments, to look into her face. His hand came up to gently brush across the black bruise on her brow, then down to the one on her chin, and finally come to the split in her lips.

Absently, Piper took bit his finger, the sensation lighting her on fire, she wondered if this is how it felt to burn.

A small frown wormed itself between Bran's eyebrows, "I know, now" he said.

She nodded, figuring Van had filled him in on her past. A part of her marveled that despite knowing he was still here. He wanted her, damage and all. Piper leaned into him, letting his warmth soak through her clothing.

Tonight, she didn't want to be rational, she didn't want to be careful. Tonight, Piper wanted to feel safe and loved and to pretend Bran felt the same way about her, pretend she was his mate.

She reached her lips up to his, marveling at how wonderful he tasted. As the kiss grew hotter, Bran continued to hold onto her, tenderly, as if she'd slip away from him. And in that shadowy bedroom, Piper gave all of herself to him, marveling at how easily it went.

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><p><strong>Soo, FINALLY, right? WRONG.<strong>

**No spoiler, but lets just say THIS IS NOT THE END. stay tuned.**

**I HOPE EVERYONE REVIEWS THIS CHAPTER, at the very least.**


	19. ūndēvīgintī

**Getting toward the end.**

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><p>The sun broke through the shade, stirring the woman next to him. Bran watched as Piper turned away from him, rolling to face the sun. A ghost of a smile played on her lips. He marveled at how peaceful she looked, how happy. Bran wished he could share the emotion.<p>

He had awoken in the early hours, the beast more at peace than it had been in decades. The man however, had been miserable. A feeling had awoken him from his sleep. The spirits raced up and down his arms, twitching his skin. Something was not right. A feeling had formed, one which Bran hadn't planned for or expected. The spirits were impatient for him to understand, for him to leave.

Despite, their insistence, Bran was hesitant to leave her to wake alone. He glanced toward her sleeping face, slightly shocked to even find her still next to him. Bran truly hadn't planned for this to happen. Sure, he had dreamed of the idea, been plagued with the fantasy since the day Piper had walked into his life. But that was all it was, a _fantasy_.Turning the idea into reality seemed ridiculous. Even as he crept inside the shadowed room last night and wrapped her in his arms, Bran still hadn't realized what was about to occur between them.

Piper sighed, returning Bran's attention to the bare skin on her back. A small freckle stood out on the ivory silk. The memory of how she felt beneath him ghosted beneath his fingertips. An image of the pleasure on her face came to mind. The sex had been…indescribable. No one had set him on fire like she did, not any of his lovers had fought for dominance like Piper did. Piper had consumed him, taken him over, allowed him to loose control. The idea alone was sheerly unheard of. It was also, Bran realized, completely irresponsible.

Being with Piper had felt so right it had surprised Bran. And just as he realized how right it all felt, the wrongness of it hit him like a wall.

It was true what Van had accused him of. His wolf had chosen Leah and the man had allowed the bond to occur. Leah had been just one of a few string of lovers he'd taken to calm the wolf. When the wolf had chosen her, he'd been surprised, but had hedged the beasts demands. When his Indian, Aiyanna, had died delivering Charles, Bran had promised to never allow himself to truly mate again. The loss was just too difficult to endure.

Bran had kept his promised for the last two hundred years. Despite, re-mating, he had kept a wall between Leah and himself. It had worked and his soul had remained intacted, untouched.

And yet, one night with Piper was all it took to break his vow, to tear down every last defense he'd created to ensure his mental and emotional stability. The idea alone was altogether too much. It was too much of a risk to continue it. The spirits whispered for his compliance. Now was not the time to be with her. They insisted he walk away from her.

He was disgusted with himself. Bran had vowed to leave Piper alone. To not give into his wolf or the man's demands. And still, he'd ended up in her bed. Piper didn't deserve this life. She didn't deserve to be mated to a beast, to adopt all of his problems as his own. The spirits itched in agreement.

Bran, wasn't sure he'd survive loosing her. She was human, so unbelievably fragile. And now she was a guardian of the boy. She wouldn't choose to go wolf. Even if she did choose it there were no guarantees she would survive the change to wolf. Many did not. Doc Carter's face appeared in his mind. Another lace of pain took hold of him.

Bran wouldn't survive loosing her, he knew both wolf and man would go insane. It just wasn't the right time. The wolf, who had awoken as some point during his turmoil, began to pace, unhappy with the direction of thoughts.

_No_, he decided, he couldn't risk being with Piper right now, too much was at stake. Werewolves had just come out to the world. Like the fae before them, the wolves had announced their exsistence and come out of the proverbial shadows. And with their admission, humans were frightened and scared. Bran knew that humans acted stupidly in reaction to both emotions. The Redicious were not the only human groups attempting to extinguish their species.

One wrong move by the wolf population and it could all implode. And Bran, was one of the only people able to control the wolves. His demise would emplode their entire exsistence, perhaps even end in death and chaos for the masis.

The responsibility wasn't a new thing. Bran was used to feeling like civilization depended on him. It was why he had become so coldy calculating.

Piper mumbled something, turning over and loosely throwing an arm around his midsection. She snuggled closer into him. Bran realized he wasn't used to caring so much. To feeling…love, he admitted.

And with the realization of the feeling blooming in his stomach, his mind was made. He would leave Piper. His wolf raged. For both of their sakes. A small part in his mind acknowledged he would come back for her. Both wolf and man loved her, wanted her with him. But he couldn't become closer to her until things became settled, until she was ready to change. She was just too fragile as a human to be the Marrok's mate. Especially, with Leah in a fit.

Her eyes fluttered open, "G'morning."

The bruises on her face had swollen and turned a deep blue. His fingers ached to trace over them, to kiss away the pain.

"Good Morning," he replied.

She stretched, languidly. "Man, I'm sore," Piper smirked toward him, "in _all_ the right places, mind you."

He could see the happiness in her eyes. He could feel it ebb out and attempt to wrap around him. This is his mate, his lover, the one he wanted to spend his life wi- No. Rational thought flooded back. Bran knew he had to end this, whispers ached into his mind. He must do this.

A frown had taken over her small face, "What's wrong Bran?"

Although, he would never admit it. Bran preferred when she used her nickname for him. She was one of the few people who didn't call him Marrok, one of the few people that saw the man.

"Last night was a mistake," he admitted, " We can't be together, Piper."

She stared at him, clearly stunned. Slowly, she asked, "Why?"

"It's too dangerous," he hesitated, "for us both."

"How am I dangerous for you."

Quietly, Bran admitted. "Loosing you would destroy me."

He watched as a spark lit her eyes. She grew angry. "And what do you think you're doing right now!"

Bran winced. "I'm trying to protect you."

"You're pushing me away."

Bran looked at her, her eyes pleaded he not do this.

The next words that fled his mouth were taken from the spirits, gliding in and out of his consciousness. "The Marrok can't be mated to a human."

"Then, change me," she demanded, "We've talked about it before."

It was true they had spoken about it. "You may not survive, Piper," he hesitated. " And You're not ready, I can tell." Even as she sat in front of him, asking for the change, he could see the hesitance in her gaze. Piper wasn't ready, maybe she never would be.

She clenched her jaw, looking away, but she didn't disagree. Bran couldn't ask her to make that decision before she was ready. He knew she wouldn't survive if he did.

"I'm just," she searched for the words, "there's more things I need to do."

She had used the Redicious as her excuse before. Bran realized it was just that, however, an excuse. Perhaps she wanted to grow up more, do human things. It was normal to do so, however, keeping her a human would only endanger her.

"I can't mate to a human. The Marrok's mate is already too much of a target. You could die if I-"

"So, you don't think I can protect myself…"

"Of course I do, but against a raging lone wolf you dont-"

Piper gathered up the sheets, moving closer to him, she took his two hands inside her own. Her face was soft. Tears brimmed over her eyes.  
>"Bran, I love you," she said, simply, as if it were the most obvious notion in the world. "You're the only person I've ever felt this way about. I can't imagine not seeing you or your smile," on hand raised to graze his cheek, "You're the strongest, most stubborn person I know-"<p>

"-Piper, I-"

"Let me finish," she said sternly. Bran's heart was breaking. It was everything he couldn't hear and everything he'd absolutely desired to.

"I don't care if it's dangerous or if you're scared or what title you hold." Piper searched his eyes, smiling softly, "I see you," she explained, "You're surrounded by people who think they know you. But you're the lonliest one in the room. You're not infailable, you're not all-knowing. You're just a man, Squints. You're a man I love very, very much."

Bran could feel the pain stabbing his chest, feel himself breaking apart.

"I'm not asking you to step down or to change me. I'm asking you to love me. _Please_, Bran, don't do this. Don't push me away because you're afraid."

A moment of silence passed, tears fell down her cheeks. The emotion was choking him, cutting off all logical thought, he fought for control. Being with Piper would be easy. Folding her in his arms and keeping her would feel right. But Bran was sure it wasn't what needed to be done, the feeling continued to say so.

Quietly, he said, "I can't."

A sob escaped her. She backed away, taking the sheet with her.

"Just not now," he added. The spirits accepted that. They whispered up and down his arm to _wait for her, _there would be a time_ they'd be together_.

Piper fought to control her emotions. Tears streamed down both her cheeks. "So, you're leaving me."

"Yes."

Her face contorted again in pain, she scrubbed at it, and took to deep breaths. After a moment she stood and jerked on her clothes.

Bran watched her, hating himself. The spirits assured him this was good. Nothing about the scene felt good.

He reached out for her hand, she flinched away and Bran hated himself even more. "I'll come back for you."

Piper looked into his eyes and Bran saw the total defeat there. He had never before seen Piper in such a quiet, distraught state. She looked as white as a ghost.

Quietly she said, "I don't want you to come back."

The wolf growled. Bran was slightly horrified, "W- What, I-"

She interrupted, "I don't want to ever see you."

"But I thought- I thought you wanted-"

"Not anymore."

She paused with her hand on the knob, glancing toward him, "Stay away from me Bran," she said before opening the door and disappearing.

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><p><strong>Sad but necessary. <strong>

**Uploading the next chapter right now.**

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	20. vīgintī

**Review.**

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><p><strong>-ONE MONTH LATER-<strong>

"You _stupid_ Old Wolf!"

The vase crashed over his head, and Charles was suddenly glad for Anna's terrible aim. He had come home to his mate in distress. Not knowing what was wrong, Brother Wolf had informed him it was best to hide until her anger cooled. Two hours later, and still she remained furious.

He held his hands in front of him. "Are you going to tell me what this is about, or continue to ruin furniture."

Anna stalked toward him, poking a finger in his chest, _hard_.

"I told you this would happen, but you were all _'no, we must trust the spirits._' And I was all, '_maybe the spriirt should mind their own business'_ and you were all _'the spiritis ensure our destiny, we are their business,_' and I agreed."

Charles fought to not laugh as his mate waved her arms comically as she retold their past conversations.

He waited for her to continue, "Well, you're _freaking_ spirits can go screw themselves! Bran broke her heart."

Brother wolf perked at that, it was ture, Charles had trusted the spirits to guide his father down the path, but as Charles grew to care for Piper, sitting by as their relationship neared implosion had been difficult.

"What happened?" he asked, alert.

Anna threw her arms up, "You know what happened! Bran left her! and now she's not eating, not sleeping, she's been throwing up for weeks."

"Who told you, that?"

"Van just called in a state, He thinks she'd dying."

Piper was strong, Charles knew she'd survive the break, he was sure she would. When his father had returned they had been surprised at how closed off he'd been. Lately, he hadn't spoken much to his da'. Like Piper, Bran refused to answer the phone. When he did ermerge from wherever he'd hidden himself, Bran had been crisp, gotten the job done and then crawled back into complete isolation. Charles had been worried about him, just as Anna had been worried about Piper. Since Bran's return Anna had been calling her friend, or more accurately, her friend's Alpha daily. Piper's lack of appetite and insomnia were already a known thing. Charles, however, had not known about the vomiting.

Anna waved a finger at him, again. "You fix this, Charles or so help me god!"

He winced as she stormed away, slamming the door. Charles remarked at how persuasive his mate could be when upset.

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><p><strong>-TWO MONTHS LATER-<strong>

Brady strolled the halls of the manor, chuckling at the old wolf's face when he'd awoken to his laces tied together. Van was easily pranked, and there was no lengths Brady would go to in order to make Piper smile.

The reminder of the woman made his change directions through the house, making his way toward the study in which she spent most of her time.

Music drifted out from the room, the door was slightly cracked open, light spilling into the cold marble floor that always made Brady cringe in the morning.

He pushed open the door, ready to re-tell how he'd left Van, expecting an easy smile from her. His stomach dropped as he spotted her lying on the floor, her arms thrown out helplessly at her side.

"Pipe!" he rushed toward her, her eyes were closed, but he felt a pulse in her neck, like Michael had taught him. "VAN!" he bellowed. He shook her, trying to wake her. She looked pale, close to death. His heart raced.

"VAN!" he called again.

The Alpha charged in the room. "What happened?" he demanded. His voice was in such a growly state that Brady nearly backed away. The last year of Michael's beasts stories surface, making Brady hover, more over Piper.

"Get back, boy," he made a shooing motion. Brady didn't move. "I'm not going to hurt her!" Slightly more trusting, Brady edged backward, not letting her hand go.

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><p>Van watched the boy, who was protecivly holding Pipers hand. It had been a seemless transition for him. The boy had at first only trusted Piper, skirting around the others without care. Eventually, he had warmed up to the group. Van could tell he cared for Piper. Whether he saw her as a sisterly or motherly figure, Van was unsure. He was sure, however, that Piper considered him hers. The boy wouldn't be leaving anytime soon.<p>

The Doctor, Robert Dodge, tsked as he bent over Piper. "She's too thin." He had already listened for breathing, repositioned her to be more comfortable and now began to poke and prod at various points.

"She's lost her appetite, she wont eat any of her favorites, eggs, bread, chips."

The man lifted her shirt, ignoring Brady's complaints. Van held back his own protective instincts as he watched the pack doctor put together his two hands, poking deeply into her stomach.

"Well, of course she wont," the Doctor chuckled, "she needs meat."

Van's instincts ran haywire. Frantically, he recalled the importance of protien to humans. He knew is was vital. Hell, he should have shoved some steak down her face. Wolves, often, required more wolves, maybe humans did too.

"Well, I guess I could've tried that. She just keeps saying she's not hungry."

The wirey man nodded, "sometimes that happens, it's the energy exchange."

"What energy exchange?"

"What's he talking about!" The kid demanded.

Dodge looked confused, "Between her," he explained, "and the baby."

"Holy shit," Brady said, mimicking Van's own thoughts.

The words shut Van down. His eyes rounded in both shock and understanding. The sickness, the change in appetite, this fatigue. Piper wasn't just heartbroken, she was _pregnant_.

"You didn't know?" the man hedged.

"You got Pipe pregnant!" the boy accused.

"No, I just, didn't put it together."

Dodge chuckled, leaning across her to slap Van's shoulder, "Congrats, old boy."

"No, I-" Van began, but realized he shouldn't tell the gossipy wolf he wasn't the father. Dumbly, he realized Bran must be. _Jesus, Mary and Joseph._

The doc continued to frown at him and Van rememberd what he'd spoken, "I just meant, that these type of pregnancies can be dangerous, I'm just worried about her."

Brady turned pale, "What do you mean?"

Dodge nodded, ignoring Kid. "Yes, human-Alpha pregnancies are tricky, aren't they." He surveyed her body like it was a math problem, "the stronger the pup, the less chance the mother will survive delivery." He glanced toward Van, "Evolution is a bitch, huh?"

"Oh my god," Kid mumbled, gripping her hand tighter.

Van agreed, realizing the chanced of Piper surviving this were dwindling quickly to none because, as far as he knew, every woman who'd beared Bran's child, had died in delivery.

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><p><strong>-THREE MONTHS LATER-<strong>

Piper rubbed absently at her swollen stomach, humming a lullaby. Kid sat across from her, doing some type of math homework. Despite, being homeschooled by a pack teacher, Kid seemed to always have homework. Piper marveled at how smart he was. He was especially gifted with math. She was proud of him.

Her fingers splayed over her stomach and she absently wondered if she would feel this proud, this protective over her own child. She decided she would.

Piper spent many nights doing this, wondering how he or she would turn out. She imagined a smile blonde haired boy as a trickster, setting traps for his uncle Tag and insisting that his father was the most fierce Alpha around.

Another image, of a sandy haired girl came to mind. She would have her father wrapped around her finger and she would be a malstorm of both calculation and wit.

Of course, the thoughts of fathers, made her think of Bran. Bran didn't know he was going to be a father, in fact, Piper wasn't even sure he knew she was pregnant.

She had sworn Van and everyone else who knew to complete secrecy about her condition. In fact, she may or may not have held Van at gunpoint to procure the agreement.

As it was, only Van, Brady and a few within the Detroit pack, including the bushy-haired Doctor had realized she was with child. It wasn't until last month that she had finally found the courage to tell Tag and Anna.

Tag had called her, just like any other day. He had asked her whether the rumor was true and Piper had for the first time in months, been honest with him. Yes, she was pregnant.

He had sounded confused, asking who the father was. At first she gave silence, before finally answering Van. Tag had only exclaimed, "Sure it is," before peppering her with teasing about how terrible of a mother she'd make. She replied that he himself would make a twice worse godfather to which he'd promptly started sniffling and asking her if she was sure.

Anna's call had been next, to which Piper had been forced to tell the entire truth. She admitted that Van wasn't the father but he had offered to coparent. Anna understood, saying how hard it would be alone. However, Anna decidedly left out the obvious danger Piper was in. Both women knew the delivery would be hard, perhaps even fatal.

Both had also agreed to tell no one.

Piper was optimistic, however. Since the moment Van had told her about the baby growing inside her and overwhelming awe and thankfulness had uplifted her. She had never felt so good, so right. Only the lingering thoughts that two important people were missing kept her from being on cloud nine.

Mac's absence cut her like a blade. All over again, she realized what his death meant, that he would never share these important experiences with her, that he would never meet his neice or nephew. The realization hurt, but it was nothing compared to Bran's dissapearence.

Bran had told her it wasn't the right time. She had opened her heart, laid it out for him, with all it's twistedness and imperfections right there, and Bran had pushed her away. Piper had been devastated, but at time elapsed, she became even more upset that he was missing this, that he didn't care enough to witness the growth of his child.

Clearly, his duty to the wolves was more important.

"You're thinking about him again," Brady said quietly. Piper didn't realize he'd stopped working, he was now staring at her, from him seat beside the table. Of course, The kid knew who the father was. He had been there after Bran left. He had been one of the people holding onto her as she cried, supporting her and caring for her when she should be doing so for him.

"You're right, I am." They didn't speak of Bran often, but from time to time, Brady would catch her in thoughts of him. He had said something about noticing some look on her face.

Instead of letting it drop, like he usually did, Brady suggested, "Maybe you should just tell him."

Piper had fought with the idea long enough, she had decided and that was that. "He has enough to worry about, he doesn't want this."

"You don't know that unless you tell him."

"His duty is to his wolves, not us."

The boy grew quiet, a vunerable expression on his face, after a moment, he asked, " What's going to happen when you have it?"

Piper was confused. Brady was pretty notorious about not planning for the future. Anytime she'd bring the issue up, he'd mumble something about beating a dead horse and leave.

"We'll stay here, or get a place of our own," she turned toward the small tree in the yard, "Maybe somewhere in the woods,"

Brady nodded, "What about me?"

"Who do you think '_we_' is?"

He shrugged, "I just thought, with you and the baby."

"That what? I was going to leave you?"

"I guess," he replied sheepishly.

"Kid , I told you. You're stuck with me. I love ya."

He looked hopeful at that, "really?"

"Yes. Besides, " Piper chuckled, "I'm not turning away a free babysitter!"

Brady rolled his eyes, "You're not that funny, Pipe."

She laughed, "Sure I am! Everyone thinks so!"

After a moment, with his eyes shining, he declared, "You're going to make a really good mother, Pipe."

She smiled, marveling at how she already felt like one to this teenager. Saying so would only embarrass him, so instead Piper said, "You're going to be a pretty great big brother, yourself."

He smiled and a tiny kick answered her declaration. Piper couldn't help but wonder whether her little bug agreed.

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><p><strong>-ONE MONTH LATER-<strong>

"This is Bran." He answered lifelessly.

"Hullo Bran," Tag chirped. His friend's unhappiness conflicted him. A part of him hoped the old bastard would come to realize his mistake. It was time for him to get on his knees and beg her to take him back. What he was doing was wrong. It suddenly became his responsibility to make him see.

"How's the vacation?" Bran had left Aspen Creek a month ago. The official word was he was camping in the northern mountains, hunting rouges that have been living too close to their territory. Unofficially, Charles had confided he worried Bran had gone rouge, himself. For most of his absence, Bran had abandoned his phone. However, Anna had frantically called Tag earlier, saying Bran was returning tomorrow, information she'd received from Bran himself. The timing was altogether ridiculous or perhaps it was fate. The old wolf wasn't sure.

"It's over. I'm coming back."

Perhaps Bran was malvoient. The timing was just too perfect. "And why is that, Bran?"

"Because I'm done out here?" the man asked, puzzled.

"Is that so…"

"What's going on, Tag?"

"I just find it quite a coincidence, is all. Coming back the day she arrives."

Tag listened intently to the Marrok's next words, he heard the true confusion in them, "Let's stop this game, and you can tell me who you're talking about."

He sighed, assuming those spooky powers of Brans were responsible for knowing when to return.

"Piper is visiting tomorrow," for good measure he added, "_finally_."

He heard a whoosh of breath and could hear the tenseness in his friend's voice, "I wasn't aware."

Maybe he wasn't Tag realized. Maybe it was the spirits or maybe it was fate. Despite, not knowing, and despite wanting the old wolf to come to his sense, Tag rethought about springing this on Piper.

"Well, now you are," Tag scrubbed a hand over his face, "Maybe you should stay away, Bran."

The Alpha didn't speak. When he did, his voice was stern. "I appreciate your concern but I'm coming back."

"Bran, she only agreed because she knew you weren't here."

"Well, I will be. I didn't plan it, but It's probably for the best we speak."

"The-," Tag cleared his throat, wondering whether the Alpha knew, surely he hadn't been that secluded. It wasn't well known, however. Unless Anna, Charles, himself or Van told Bran, there was no way he would. Before his "vacation" the Alpha had barely even spoken to an outside source.

"Bran, Piper is pregnant."

This time, the growl was audiable, loud. "What?" he demanded.

Despite, being on the phone, Tag dropped his eyes, mostly out of habbit.

"Shes. Pregnant?"

"Yes," Van winced.

"_How_ pregnant?" The fury and confusion in Bran's voice was clear.

Tag knew that this answer mattered, Anna had told him as much. He subtracted two months, "She's six months, along."

Dead silence met the other end, then a crash of something. Tag smiled, thinking the old wolf deserved a bit of needling. "Does that anger you, Bran?"

"OF COURSE IT DOES. HOW COULD SHE-"

"What?" he hedged, "Move on from a man who didn't love her enough to try."

Bran sounded hoarse, broken. "Of course, I did! I just needed time. The spirits told me-"

He grew angry, at his friend.

"The spirits don't mean shit. Piper didn't deserve how you treated her."

"I didn't mean to. I love her. Who's," his voice cracked, "Who's the father."

He didn't want to lie. Instead, he said, "Van will be here with her tomorrow."

A growl broke through, and then something muffled. "Just leave her alone, Bran. You weren't brave enough to be with her."

"I was! That's why I was coming back. I was going after her!"

That stopped Tag, "Why did it take you so long, why _now_?"

"I've been fighting it. Trying to be a good leader. I can't even be in a place that holds her memoreies. That's why I left."

Tag sighed, after all, Piper wasn't really with Van. She didn't ove the man. He knew she wanted Bran to be part of their child's life. Besides, if Bran was present, the delivery may go smoother.

"Being a good leader is important Bran, it's what you've been doing for centuries," he sighed, remembering how differently the man had been before Piper, "But being a good man is more important. And being a good man means being good to yourself. Go tell her you love her."

"She's having Van's child."

"It doesn't matter how terribly you've messed this up. If you care about her, you deserve to try. Beg her if you have to."

"I wont do that to Van."

"Then you deserve you're unhappiness," Tag said, before hanging up the phone.

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><p><strong>Its a bit rough, but i just needed to post it. i will gloss over soon.<strong>

**Review**


	21. ūnus et vīgintī

**Psh. Pretty sure this chapter makes it 40,000. Sheesh. So much for a quick little story that wiggled itself into my mind on an airplane.**

**I'm never flying again.**

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><p>Even before Tag had seated himself next to her, plucking awkwardly at his clothing, Piper had felt something was wrong. Van was on her other side, also looking uncomfortable. The sly glances, the short sentences and the overall gloom had all been suspect. Anna and her Indian sat across from them and despite, the retelling of their spectacular Easter vacation, neither seemed enthused. Brady stood apart from the adults, occasionally picking up some trinket of Tag's with interest.<p>

"-so glad you're finally feeling better," Anna was saying.

Piper nodded, as Van threw a haphazard arm across her shoulders. "The raw meat seems to be helping." He chuckled, "she even gets all growly when we don't feed her quick enough."

Anna chuckled, Charles' look turned sour, which Piper pointedly ignored.

"Yep. A baby-on the way, a mouthy-teenager and a wolf who serves me meat on a silver platter." She leaned back, or at least tried to, pretending to revel. "Don't mind me here, I'm just living the dream."

Tag rolled his eyes, "Speaking of dreams, have you been having any?"

She scowled, remembering tearing into the white, bloodied rabbit. Her stomach, or perhaps the pup growing inside her, growled. "None since that last jem."

"That's good, it was probably just a projection from the pup."

Piper scowled further, "I'm having a baby, Tag, not a litter."

He chuckled just as Charles finally broke in."Anna said you're refusing to have the baby here. You know it's not safe in a human hospital."

"Yes, I know."

"You need to stay here, our doctor has done this before. She isn't some wet-behind the ears, sleep-deprived nit-wi-"

"Quit being an Idiot, Indian. Why do you think we're here."

He looked surprised at that, _good_. "I'm not risking the baby. This is the only place capable of delivering the child of-" Piper nearly winced, "My child."

Anna looked relieved and still anxious. "I'm just happy you're back."

"I'm not back," she clarified, "Just staying long enough for the chord to be cut and to blissfully ignore anything in relation to Aspen Creek." She softened, "Except you all, of course."

Tag coughed as Anna and Charles shared some private glance. It all felt a bit like junior high, again.

Fighting away the unease, Piper glanced toward Brady, who was sitting at the picture window. He was starring into the wooded trees just beyond Tag's backyard. Wonderment was clear on the boys face and Piper figured this was his first experience with nature.

She chuckled, "It's a little different than Suburbia, huh?"

He turned back, "You mean where they tear out the trees and name streets after them?" Brady glanced back toward the forest, "Yea, it's pretty different."

Piper couldn't help smiling at him. The kid was a pain in the ass, after her own…well, ass. "You know, there's this thing called a door right beside you." Brady glanced over, "It's crazy, but I'm pretty sure it leads out to that forest your drooling over."

Anna smiled but still managed to look anxious. The Indian was stoic.

Brady shrugged, "I'm fine."

Tag shifted again, glancing everywhere but in her direction.

She sighed, "Brady, be a good teenager and go play in the woods while I interrogate these nice puppies."

She watched his eyes glance from one friend to the other. After a moment, he nodded, throwing open the door. Piper was unable to mask the smile that formed as he ran into the forest, the wind slashing through his clothes and hair.

Turning back toward them with narrowed eyes, she said. "Is someone going to explain why Charles looks constipated?"

His pinched face took on an air of hesitance, glancing toward her swollen stomach. Piper rolled her eyes, "I'm pregnant, not mentally retarded, what's going on?"

"We're just worried for you, Piper," Anna began. "All of Bran's past wives haven't…well, it's not going to be as simple as you're saying."

She nodded, realizing she had already received their worried vibes loud and clear. Piper had been inquiring more what made them twitch with every floorboard creak or shift uncomfortably.

"I know-"

Tag interrupted, "I really don't think you don't. Everyone might want to be optimistic, but I'll be blunt. Your chances of surviving this are slim to none."

"Again," Piper said, "that's-"

"Just listen to them Piper."

"Charles, if you and the rest of your firing squad would shut up, Piper would tell you what we're planning."

"Thanks Van." She turned toward them. "I'm actually not planning on surviving the labor." They all looked outraged. "I mean, I hope I do, but I told Van, if I'm looking like I'm going into that yonder light, that I want to be changed."

"WHAT!" Anna flew off the couch.

"I wont abandon my child," she justified. "I was abandoned, I would never…It isn't an option."

Tag and Charles had clearly gotten a better grasp on the idea, they both were nodding. "It may work," Tag agreed. Charles pulled Anna back beside him.

He glanced toward her and Van, looking bleak. "Da' will kill you for it," he said.

Both Piper's rage and heartbreak resurfaced. She pushed away his image. Bran had left her. He had convinced her he'd loved her, taken her and then left her in complete despair. But then again, Bran had given her a gift. Piper rubbed her stomach, she wouldn't take a single second of it back.

"Bran will have to deal with whatever I decide, I'm not changing for him."

"I wasn't talking about you," Charles clarified, nodding toward her right, "If Van changes you, whether he kills you or succeeds, Da' will kill him."

"He'll have no right to do that!"

Tag chuckled, "There's no logic in love, dove."

Piper ignored him, ignored the harsh cut of the word.

"Bran will have to get over it," Van determined.

The silence grew between them, the unease of her own churning feelings almost made Piper forget her original train of thought, that is, until Anna began to awkward twirl a piece of hair.

"Are you going to tell me why you're all acting like virgins on prom night?"

The woman's blue eyes opened wider, "what do you mean?

"Don't ever play poker, Anna."

She sighed and with the motion Piper watched her deflate. Charles wrapped an arm around her and sealed his face.

"We planned on getting you here and convincing you into staying until the birth…"

"And?"

"We didn't want to tell you before we had a chance to explain how dangerous having Da's child would be anywhere-"

"Okay," she interrupted, "enough with the buttering up, what happened?"

Tag spoke, simply saying, "Bran is back."

And with those three words the floor fell out from the world.

"Oh, shit."

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><p><strong>I feel like this is more of the Piper we know and love.<strong>

**GETTING SO CLOSE TO THE END.**

**Review**


	22. viginti duo

Seven months and about thirty-pounds stood between the woman who'd slept in this room and the person she was now. She mused at how easy it was imagine it was just any other night in Aspen Creek, her unpregnant and still pining for Bran. the illusion dissolved pretty quickly when the baby started dancing on her bladder.

Van had booked the adjoining room and promptly taken Brady on a run to the store to buy raw meat. The baby, she still wasn't sure what the sex was, started to kick...harder.

In fact, when the knock at the door came, she hadn't been sure whether it was physical or internal. A second wrap from the ugly orange door proved it to be the former.

Her mouth watered in anticipation. She swung open the door, "You better have gotten the bloody stuff!" Unfortunately, the piece of meat standing on her step was not raw and wrapped in paper.

Bran stood there, as beautiful as she remembered him. The stubble across his jaw and his disarrayed hair, called out to her, dissolving her resolve. Her stomach dropped at the sight of him. Knots quickly formed. Piper attempted to cover up her shock.

"What are you doing here, Bran."

She watched as his pale eyes roamed her face and then dropped to her stomach. Some kind of grim awe stood on his features. His child answered his gaze with a kick to her bladder again.

He cleared his throat, "I needed to talk to you."

His voice alone was enough to melt her knees. Piper was eight months pregnant, as large as a whale and unbelievably horny. And Bran looked like the same delectable Squint, all muscle and fierce lines and blue eyes.

Piper wasn't sure what mojo her hormones was working on her, but for some reason she let him enter. With a sigh, she plopped herself down on the bed, waiting for whatever he had to say.

He stood in the doorway for a moment, some look taking over his face, a shiver of desire worked its way up her arms. The baby moved, upset with her churning emotions.

He sighed deeply, drawing Piper back to the situation at hand. Since hearing of his return she had expected him to come. To apologize and admit that he led her on, to say he wanted a part in his child's life.

Tag had already mentioned that he'd let the proverbial beans out of the bag, when Bran called. He knew she was pregnant. _It's the only reason he's here, _she reminded her traitorous heart._ He doesn't love you._

He came toward her, but instead of sitting beside her or sitting in the chair across from her, Bran dropped to his knees, directly in front of her place on the bed. She was too shocked to notice as he gathered her hands in his own. with him closer, she saw the stubble across his face, the deep sunken shaddows under his eyes. Bran looked... _terrible,_ she realized. The thought didn't make her as happy as she thought it would.

His grip tightened, "I have never made a worse decision in my life than leaving you that day." It was the last thing she'd expected.

"I thought I was doing the right thing... I thought the spirits," he scowled, "it doesn't matter. It was my decision and I've regretted it since the second I left. These last few months, I've barely even lived without you." Her blood rushed to her ears. Some foreign object began to choke within her throat. Bran continued, "I tried ignoring the pain, I tried running away, I even called you trying to figure out what to say..."

Stupidly, she asked, "You did?"

He winced, "Mostly I'd hang up or the kid would answer and chew me out."

"Brady spoke to you?"

He nodded, "And he's right. I don't deserve you. I didn't have any right calling, but I just can't _be_ without you." Piper was fairly sure she was experiencing shock. Tears formed in Bran's eyes, making the blue look even paler. "The man and the wolf were miserable. We'd hunt and breathe and sleep, but It meant nothing without. I need you Piper." His breathing hitched, two tears fell down his cheeks.

"I've know I messed everything up. I know it's selfish to come back, now, when everything's going right for you. I just can't give up on us." He lifted a hand, wiping away tears of her own, tears she hadn't even realized she'd shed.

"I want to spend as much time with you as I can, in any way I can. I'll be your friend, or your Alpha or a godfather," he glanced down toward her stomach. _Godfather?_ "If you can't trust me with your heart, I'll stay anyway, I'll prove to you I'm worthy of another chance. You're my mate Piper and more than that, you're my best friend." She felt herself smiling, leaning into him. Something broke loose inside of her. The hurt and the anger still stayed, but a trickle of hope began.

"I'm so sorry I did that to you, I just- I can't even believe why, I don't know what I was thinking."

She wasn't going to lie to him, to tell him it was okay. Instead she leaned forward, brushing away some of his tears. This was _her_ Bran. The same man who'd kissed her, who'd pushed her away, the one who'd lied, betrayed and belittled her, even who left her. It all mattered, she realized. His past mistakes made him more real, more valuable, and despite it all, Piper loved him, every good and bad part.

He leaned back, again taking her hands, "Give me another chance, Piper. I love you more than I have ever loved anyone. Sharp tounge and all." His hands dropped, hesitantly touching her stomach. "I'll love your child."

She chuckled, "You do understand I'm not virigin Mary, right?"

"What?"

"Squints, I'm not claiming Virgin birth over here, it's not just _my_ child."

He frowned, "I know, and," Bran cleared his throat, "I understand wanting to raise the child with it's father, but I'm a good dad. I'll love it like it's my own."

The pieces fell together. _Godfather, your child, like it's my own_. Bran didn't know he was the father. She realized Tag had helpfully left out that part. Van and Brady's conspiratorial whispers also came to mind. This was a set up.

Piper took a deep breath and then stopped, "You really would?" she asked, "Even if- Even though I'm carrying another man's baby, you'd want to be with me?"

He nodded and Piper saw he meant it. Bran, the ultimate control freak, would actually raise another man's child, if it meant being with her. The idea solidified her decision. Bran was who she wanted to spend her life with. The baby kicked, most likely in approval.

"And what about Brady?"

Bran looked confused.

"I'm going to adopt him, whether he agrees to it or not. He's not getting rid of me."

He smiled, "I kind of figured he was staying around when he promised to nueter me."

"When?"

Bran looked sheepish, "When he called me earlier, telling me Van and him were conveniently leaving you alone."

Piper snorted, "that kid thinks he knows everything. It's getting pretty annoying to those of us who do."

He laughed and the sound made it impossible to not lean forward and kiss him.

He responded more than enthusiastically, trapping her face with his hands. This tounge stroked her, explored her. It felt wonderful, like live sparks left his mouth and traveled into her own. She was breathless when she pulled away.

"Does this mean you're giving me another chance."

Piper smirked, "I might need some more convincing, but I'm pretty sure I can't live without you either."

He kissed her again, erasing away all logical thought. It wasn't until a few minutes of heavy petting later that Piper finally remembered.

"One more thing Squints," she managed in betwee the assult he was making on her mouth. As she spoke, he moved down to her neck, unbuttoning her blouse with a hand.

When one button gave him trouble, he got all growly and popped it off the shirt.

"About the baby, OAH!" his tounge found a particular sensitive spot on her collarbone. Piper swallowed the moan.

"The- my- Our baby, It's," He yanked off her pants, making happy noises in the back of his throat as he licked another sensitive spot.

"Oh, jesus, oh, yes... Squints..."

He pulled away, a moment later with a smirk, "What were you saying?"

She smiled lazily, "Just that Tag lied to you. You're the father."

She watched a Bran's face filled with shock. And then complete happiness.

"You didn't sleep with Van?"

Piper laughed this time, "That's disgusting, that's like you slipping some tongue to Tag."

His smile grew murderous, "Oh, I'm going to do something much less romantic to Taggart when I see him."

"Bran," she scolded, "Focus, here. We're having a baby."

The thousand-watt smile lit his entire face, "We're having a baby?"

She leaned up, nipping his lower lip, "You just gained two kids and three pains-in-the asses all in one day, _Whatareyagoingtodonow._"

The overwhelming love and happiness on his face nearly drowned her, his eyes were so earnest, as he leaned down, tracing a finger across her cheek. "I'm going to love my mate and our children," he said, "for the rest of our lives."

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><p><strong>Sigh.<strong>

**Did you like it? You better have.**

**It's not over yet, though.**


	23. Viginti Tres

**Have you enjoyed reading this as much as I have writing it? I sure do hope so!**

**Please review!**

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><p>The following weeks had been slow and deliriously happy. Piper and Brady had moved into Bran's house and into life at Aspen Creek. News of her pregnancy, of the torrid love affair surfaced and Piper was surprised at how supportive everyone was. She supposed however, that in comparison to Leah, she looked like a poster girl as the new Alpha. Of course, the house filled with presents and strange dishes from the community.<p>

Piper was about ready to put a stop to it all when someone laid a dead pheasant on their door. Bran had only smiled, saying it was an extreme compliment. Piper had replied that they could leave keep compliments to themselves, thank you very much.

The wildlife, however, was the only uncomfortable part of their new lives in Aspen Creek. Leah had left town sometime after Bran had separated the bond and Brady and Bran's relationship had only grown since that first night they'd moved in. Piper had spotted them coming back from the trail, both covered in pine needles, only to be bestfriends afterward.

Chuckling at the thought, Piper looked around the house, marveling at how filled it was becoming. The floors and furniture and feel was all the same. This place was Bran, but it was all, she realized, her and Brady. Pictures now hung of their makeshift family throughout the house. Others of Tag and Anna and Charles stood above the mantel and in Bran's study. Bran had even convinced her to put up a picture of Mac in the nursery. _So the baby will know it's uncle_, he'd said.

Piper had repayed him the favor, when she'd dug up a picture of him, Samuel and Charles from the seventies. She had laughed for twenty minutes upon seeing their terrible hair and bell-bottom pants. The picture now stood in the dining room, next to an antique gun her father, Greg, had left her.

Blending into eachother's lives had been easy, more than that, it had been right. Piper and Bran became inseparable and closer than she'd ever imagined. He admitted that he'd wanted her since the day she'd been on those steps and she'd admitted that she used to have a hobby of starring at his ass.

Together, they were just right. He kept her grounded and she kept him light. It was something acknowledged by practically everyone, even some of his oldest friends. Bran, the old wolf, had gone and gotten himself head-over-heels in love with a human and because of it now had a teenager and a baby-on the way.

Those weeks were some of the best times in both of their lives, Piper admitted. If only she had known that they were bound to end.

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><p><strong>DUH. DUH. DUH. DUNNNN.<strong>


	24. Viginti quattuor

_Pain. Slashing. Teeth ripping into flesh. Hot. Cold. Blood coating the air._ The darkness fought to overwhelm her. To swallow her completely. Her screams fill the air, the wind takes them away from the carnage, away from the source of her hurt.

The wind also takes the curses flying through the air. Someone is shouting, someone is killing with absolute abandon. The word _whore_ is used as a weapon, as it slices into her body, she spasms and prays that this will end, that the attacker will leave.

Without even realizing it, another voice answers the angry one. This one shakes but hold power, this voice answers every slur and it gives back, it taunts, it fights, it tells the other to fuck itself, it tells that the other has lost. _A howl. A snarl. Pain, blood pours. Arms of fire. _The last thing Piper realizes before the darkness overwhelms her is that the second voice, the one who meets Leah's snarls and screams as claws rip into her skin, is her own voice.

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><p><strong>Short but not sweet.<strong>


	25. viginti quīnque

**Did I mention that I am studying for the LSATs and that studying for said test sucks all of the brain out of you. I actually finished this story due to being so sick of studying so, yay for LSATs (not).**

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><p>Piper woke like a scared colt. Eyes wide and legs unstable. She fell a few times, and pushed herself up into her feet before realizing that she didn't have any. She was no longer Piper, she was a wolf.<p>

_Talk about a bad day._

The wolf across from her yipped happily, keeping his distance, _Mate_, her wolf whispered within her, and she realized Bran was just as beautiful in this form.

The admiration only lasted a minute, however, when thoughts of her baby resurfaced. Horrified, she searched for the baby. Only dried leaves of red and a strange smell met her nostrils.

Piper looked wildly toward Bran. He nodded back toward the trail and then nodded once more. Piper took it for al it was worth. Clumsily, she ran full-speed toward the trail, back toward their house. Her legs felt awkward and stiff, like she was walking on ice. She fell twice along the way and tripped once more over a log. Despite, the constant whining and growling, she managed to get in one piece. Bran was behind her, walking like he'd been doing it for years. _Which he had_, she grumbled.

On the porch Samuel held a small human bundle. The bundle smelled of woods and peppermint. Within those blankets was their child. _Mine_, the wolf declared.

The declaration may have come across as a snarl, but Samuel still smiled warmly towards her. A moment later, Brady exploded out of the house and down the steps. He stopped a foot short and she saw tears line his eyes. She dipped her muzzle once, to reassure him and he continued forward, dropping to his knees and wrapping his arms around her.

He began to weep, and her wolf whispered that he was also hers. _Son_, it said. "I was so _scared_," he was mumbling into her pelt, "I was so scared you were dead and I'd be alone again, don't leave me, _please_." He continued to squeeze her as Bran walked out of the trail behind her, once again human.

With a smile, he took their baby from Samuel and walked toward her. Before he got to her, he gazed down, and the look told that he thought the baby was the most precious thing in the world. Piper yipped at him, impatient.

"You're going to have to change back," He glanced toward her, while rocking their baby, "I want to know what to call our daughter."

She yipped again, a girl, she realized. Joy filled her. He grew serious. "Change, Piper."

But she didn't know how! There wasn't a button or anything. She didn't even remembering changing to begin with. Stupidly, Piper imagined herself as human. She thought of her long neck, her legs, her flat chest, the scar above her lip.

As the image took place in her mind, bones began to shift. She cried out in pain, wondering if it was too late to stop the change

Maybe it would be lovely to stay a wolf. Wolfs sleep all day, right?

The agony continued, bones snapping and molding. Eventually, the black faded from her vision and she came to be Piper again, human, and sprawled out on the lawn in front of her home...naked.

"Fuck, that hurt,' she mumbled into the grass.

Bran ignored the pain, instead, bending down beside her. Their baby was close enough to be seen. She noticed the child's beautiful blue eyes and the single dark wisp of hair. She was perfect.

The baby was also, big. Piper remembered seeing a picture of a newborn. Brady had remarked they had that squished head-look. This beautiful girl in front of her didn't look newborn. "She looks so big."

"You've been out of it for a week," he smiled. sadly, "she grew a lot."

A week. She had missed her daughter's first bitch Leah had taken away the first week she was supposed to spend with her child. Rage bubbled slightly, the wolf growled and the sound left her lips. Shocked, she glanced toward the baby. Who wasn't frightened but instead rewarded her with a smile.

"It wasn't your fault Piper, the change is hard."

"I should kill Leah for taking that away from me."

He smiled dangerously, "too late. Just make now count."

She nodded, still feeling terrible. She took three deep breathes before shrugging into the shirt Samuel had tossed beside her. When she felt strong enough to stand, she did. After a moment of gaining her balence, Bran smiled at her and handed her their daughter.

_Their daughter._

He kept an arm wrapped around her waist, humming some tune into her ear and smiling down at the baby.

Brady stood apart, looking relieved and still upset. Samuel came up behind him, ruffing up his blonde hair. "What's her name, then?" he called out.

Piper looked back toward their baby, not realizing she had already decided, " Mackenzie," she declared, "Mackenzie Latham Cornick."

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><p><strong>Latham is Anna's maiden name, FYI.<strong>


	26. viginti sex Epilogue

**THE END. This is the first story I have completed!**

**I want to thank everyone who wrote such nice things. And I hope that everyone who reads this story in the future continues to like it.**

**I had a blast. Hope you did too.**

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><p>The sixth months since the attack had passed in a haze of diapers, toys and werewolf debauchery. And yet, with each day, Bran grew happier. They had married in a private ceremony, and the day alone had made Bran the happiest man in Aspen Creek.<p>

Of course, their daughter, was another constant source of joy. Mackenzie, or Mack, as she was called, already had her mother's disposition. She loved playing with the wolves, no matter how big or mean they pretended to be. She would pull on their tales, and laugh hysterically when they'd start chasing her. Even Asil, who had grown unstable in the past few years, was no match for Mack. When he'd snarl at her, she simply whap him on the muzzle once and he would be goo at her feet.

Bran ruefully admitted that his daughter was already quite the trouble maker. He would often catch her in the act of doing something or causing trouble. In an instant, she'd flash him her big blue eyes and he would melt. Piper teased that he was already wrapped around her finger. She'd even remarked at how the trouble would only grow once Mack was a teenager. Bran had shuddered at the damage she'd undoubtably cause but mostly he tried to focus on getting her to two years old.

Besides, one teenage was plenty enough. Brady was nearly seventeen now and much to Piper's dismay, he was refusing to go to college. They would often fight about it, resulting in Piper threatening to hog tie and abandon him on some college campus. Brady ignored the sentiments and flat-out refused.

Bran figured the kid wouldn't admit it, but the real reason Brady didn't want to go was his hesitance to leave her. Having already been alone for so long, Bran was sure the boy didn't care to try it again. No matter, Piper was refusing to give up, especially now that the adoption papers had been signed.

Bran still wasn't sure how it all happened, he mused, one day as he sat on the couch with his family.

Two years ago, he had been minding his own business, walking down the streets of Detroit, completely oblivious to what was about to happen. Piper had hit him like a Mack truck. She had destroyed the old Bran and had rebuilt his life into something that made him happier than words could describe. _Two years_, he mused. Two years and here he was, in _their_ house, with the love of his _very-long-life_ (as she helpfully clarified), their baby daughter and their adopted teenager.

He chuckled at how ridiculous the old Bran would have found that notion.

His wife moaned from the seat next to him, as she bit into the chocolate-chunk ice-cream. Bran smiled at the happy sounds she was making in the back of her throat, throwing an arm around her and nuzzling her neck.

She smelled just as good as she did that first day as she held a gun to his temple.

"Don't mind me, Squints," Piper chuckled, "I'm just living my happily ever after here."

He smiled at her, genuinely, so unbelievably thankful he'd met her that day on those steps. "Me too," Bran said, glancing toward the teenager making funny faces at the baby on the floor, _his daughter_. "Me too."

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><p><strong>"A writer only begins a book. A reader finishes it."<strong>

**-Samuel Johnson**


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